Latest news with #GeorgeCoulam
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Shocking twist in tiny Texas town dispute as 'viagra-gobbling tyrant king' is found DEAD
The sex-obsessed, self-declared 'king' of a tiny Texas town has been found dead at his sprawling $30 million estate. George Coulam, better known as 'King George,' founded the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974 and fashioned it into a two-month-long extravaganza that takes place every year in Todd Mission, 50 miles northwest of Houston. Coulam died on May 21, two weeks after he lost a $60 million court battle and was ordered to sell up the iconic festival. Grimes County Sheriff Donald Sowell immediately stated that there were no signs of foul play and that there was no threat to the community. On Wednesday, it was revealed that the 87-year-old died by suicide, according to Grimes County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Mark Laughlin. Coulam's death came shortly after a turbulent time in his life and a major setback in terms of his continued ability to run the festival that enjoyed its 50th anniversary last year. At least since last summer, Coulam has expressed a desire to retire from running the festival. An HBO documentary revealed this was because he wanted to have more time to focus on art, gardening and 'chasing p****'. Throughout the series, Coulam also talks about how much Viagra he takes and his desire to die with an erection. He even specified that he wanted to find 'a nice thin lady between 30 and 50 years old'. At some point, Coulam changed his mind because he decided not to relinquish control after all. The only problem was, he already agreed to sell all the faire's assets in 2023 to a group of investors. The investors — RW Lands, Texas Stargate, and Royal Campground — claimed that Coulam backed out after he received a down payment and closing costs from the trio. They said he ultimately failed to comply with the closing process, which was supposed to wrap up by August 8, 2023. They launched a $60 million lawsuit against the embattled king, who vigorously defended himself in court. The nearly two-year legal battle came to bitter end in early May, with a Grimes County judge ruling against Coulam and awarding ownership of the faire to the plaintiffs. Coulam was ordered to go through with the original deal, plus pay over $23 million in damages to the three companies who bought the faire. He was dealt yet another blow earlier this month, when he was defeated in a general election to be the mayor of Todd Mission by challenger Stephen Messing. Coulam had been the first and only mayor of Todd Mission, a town with just 121 people in it, since it was incorporated in 1982. Despite Coulam's tragic end and the lawsuit, the festival's organizers have pledged that the 2025 season will continue as planned. 'We are shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the death of George Coulam. Like everyone else who loves the Texas Renaissance Festival, we remain committed to ensuring that the festival lives on,' said Meril Rivard, president of Texas RF, Inc., in a statement. This year, it is scheduled to happen over eight weekends in October and November. Coulam will still loom large over the 2025 festival, as his mansion, Stargate Manor, still sits in the center of the 200 acres of land where the annual event takes place. The regal abode features a throne room, a gilt-adorned bedroom filled with 'regalia' and a custom, gold-plated golf cart. The grounds also feature a cathedral built for Coulam's personal use. The festival draws about half a million people each year to eat turkey, set up campsites and watch jousting competitions. It bills itself as the nation's largest Renaissance event and more, with a village filled with themed performances, foods, and displays. Coulam has previously expressed a desire to see his estate turned into a museum upon his death which will be open to the public.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Ren Faire' director Lance Oppenheim on the corrupting influence of power and accidentally capturing ‘America in miniature'
We live in an escapist era. Nostalgic IP-mining reboots abound, large-scale video games are more popular every year, and escape rooms, immersive experiences, and other real-life novelties are now commonplace. Nowhere is this world-outside-the-world energy more prominent than the Texas Renaissance Festival. Founded by George Coulam in 1974, the Texas Renaissance Festival is the largest Renaissance festival in America, encompassing its own Texas town, with Coulam serving as both town mayor and festival king until his death on May 21. Ren Faire, a three-part HBO docuseries created by Some Heaven and Spermworld director Lance Oppenheim, explores a tumultuous time in the fest's long history, as Coulam looks to retire from the festival he's long been synonymous with. Vying for control over the fest's future are Coulam's longtime right-hand man, Jeff Baldwin, ren faire tycoon Louie Migliaccio, and a host of other players. While there's organic humor in the concept — it's a struggle over succession of a fake kingdom, after all — it ends up a dramatic microcosm of the perils of power. More from GoldDerby Cannes 2025 wrap: 'Sentimental Value,' Jennifer Lawrence, June Squibb, and the 2026 Oscar contenders to know How Eddie Redmayne crafted his 'deeply unflappable' assassin on 'The Day of the Jackal' How 'Succession' creator Jesse Armstrong freshly explores mega wealth through tech bro one-upmanship in 'Mountainhead' Oppenheim spoke to Gold Derby about capturing truth in a fantasy land, power struggles, accidentally capturing America in miniature, and the lessons he's taking into his narrative feature debut in Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson and distributed by A24. Note: This interview took place prior to Coulam's death. Gold Derby: You hit on such a tumultuous time for Ren Faire's future. How did Ren Faire come to fruition when it did? Lance Oppenheim: The project began with David Gauvey Herbert and Abigail Road, two journalists who came to me with the story. They found the world of the Texas Renaissance Festival, and George Coulam, the king and the mayor of this town that he had created around the Faire. … I love the idea that there was a real-life fiefdom that had been created by this very eccentric, iconoclastic dude, who cosplayed and also lived a real life as a king … though it's a very stylized portrayal of the succession crisis, every moment was born out of real, intense investigative journalistic practice, and so it was a lot of fun trying to crack it and put it together. You had so much access, including in many private moments. How did you gain that level of trust? Time is really the leveling force with a lot of these things. It took us three years to make this project. It was over 100 shoot days — I was basically living in Texas more than I was living in my own apartment here in New York. I think the other part of this that was a really important piece was that everyone at the Renaissance Festival, more or less, is an actor, in a way. … They move through an almost 80-acre stage, and it's very immersive, so the idea of us coming to them with not just a traditional, fly-on-the-wall [documentary] approach [is appealing]. With George, it was a different story. When we met George, I think he was trying to figure out what we were after. He wasn't interested in talking about the Faire, he was interested in talking about himself as this Hugh Hefner-type, a Howard Hughes-type — one of the first things he said to me was that he was a horny old man. I saw that something in him lit up. He was so interested in saying all the things that everyone around him told him not to say. I would come to him bearing gifts. Sometimes I'd have to convince him to keep up filming with us by gifting him books about the magic of obelisks. At that point in time, once he'd received it, he'd be like, "OK, yeah, I guess I can communicate with [these people] on an artistic frequency, they're not just interested in making some sort of boring documentary," and that's when we were able to keep doing it. Photo: HBO Any time anyone even almost remotely challenged him, he'd balk at that, so I would imagine that receptivity went a long way. Yeah, it was interesting for him. I think we were the first people in his life that weren't employed by him. We had editorial control. And I think, in a weird way, George is one of these people — even though he's so obsessed with controlling everyone and everything around him — I think he also loves being shocked. Even though he is this controversial dude who says all this wild, crazy shit, I do think he is someone who is lonely, and [he] doesn't really have an outlet or anyone to really talk to. I think that's what also happened while we were there. The way I like to work is I usually tell people, "Listen, I'm not gonna tell you what to do or how to do it, but I am going to ask you not to acknowledge the camera." With George, there was none of that. I'd come to him, and he'd always say, "get your ugly ass cameraman out here," and "you get your ugly ass inside my room, and we're gonna start shooting" … then he'd tell us the moment we'd get there, "turn the cameras on, I'm gonna be going off the wall." I realized at that point in time he knew exactly what we were hoping to do, and how I was hoping to shoot things. But because he's the king, and because he identifies as such, I think he wanted to be the king of our process. The series spends a lot of time on the conflict over succession between Jeff, who appreciates the Faire's theatricality, and Louie, who has built a proto-capitalist empire within it. Very different visions. I wanted to know if you could speak to that conflict. I think you nailed it. There's also a little bit of a thing going on there about tradition versus change. Jeff Baldwin — the general manager there — it's the only job he's ever worked. He's been working there for 40-plus years. Louie came from a different place. He did start as an actor there, but he also developed a business of making kettlecorn and all kinds of other products. He really sees himself as an entrepreneur, whereas Jeff really sees himself as a guy that came from the traditions of the space. It's a fascinating idea, the idea of Renaissance festivals, because in some ways, they are the most capitalist environment on the planet. It almost feels like going to Vegas, where the only way to actually have a good time at these places these days is to spend serious cash … it's like it requires a pay-to-play existence. The thing that's interesting, and ultimately I think starts to animate the rest of the series, is at first it almost seems like George is actually thinking pretty deeply about the two different ideas or philosophies, but it becomes clear the more time that we spent with him that he doesn't really care about anything. He just wants the money, and he wants to get out … and then over time, ultimately, the money was sort of secondary as well. It's really just about self-importance, and purpose, and meaning… But yet it's sort of stuck in this never-ending cycle where George controls and dictates every rule in very arbitrary ways. On the topic of its never-ending cycle, there is a rhythm and circularity to the events that occur. Fortunes rise and fall. Tell me about your process of finding the narrative in that, and how you work with the editors to shape it into what it became. It goes without saying for every documentary, the editors don't get enough credit. Max Allman and Nick Nasmee, who edited this series, were really were like my co-authors. They were amazing. They were working with me basically from the first day of production. It was like a three-year edit, in a way. From the very beginning of the process and just meeting people, people would always talk about [how] so many people were cast out of the kingdom… this idea that George likes to flirt with people all the time, and make them feel like they're going to potentially be the heir to his fortune. It's almost a test. The moment you become maybe too big for your britches, or you do something that could bother him, he totally will throw you out. I thought for a long time, just like Jeff and Louie, this time would be different … and by the time that second year came to an end, I guess that it was around 2023, I realized that the cycle was just going — it was a Mobius strip — that the series would operate and tell a story that has happened many, many years before. I went back, and we re-edited some parts of the first two episodes just to make that through-line a lot clearer. This was a story about people who were giving all of themselves to their work in the hopes of some sort of grand prize at the end. What you see by the end of the series is just that there's no end in sight. I thought, it couldn't have ended any other way. Photo: HBO I also want to congratulate you on moving into your first narrative feature with A24's Primetime. How has your experience with Ren Faire affected how you approach narrative filmmaking? A lot of the stuff I had done in the documentary space feels very similar, I think, to some of the stuff that I was doing with this fiction film I just wrapped pretty recently. [In Primetime], working with actors and, for me, having a moldable story that I could keep discovering while we're shooting, was really important. I think the difference of working with untrained actors is that I would always find myself just observing, watching things … just making sure that we were in the right place and position, and then once that thing would happen, I would shoot another two hours in that specific scene … and so it was always like a dance, where what I was photographing had to be real, but also allowing the performance to come into it allowed for almost another form of documentary truth in there. On the fiction film, there were parts of it that were similar. William Friedkin said something once, I'm probably butchering the paraphrasing of it: "You inherit the lives and the lived experiences of where your performers are when you're making the film." In that way, there is almost a documentary dimension. No matter what they're doing, what choices they're making, it's coming from where they are in their lives, and so a lot of that too I was trying to pull into it. I [also] liked that I could look at another story about power, and proximity to power, and what power does to you. I did that with Ren Faire, and I liked doing it within the world of broadcast television in this very specific time period, [and] we were looking at it with the Primetime movie. I love that, congratulations on both projects. Thank you so much. It's funny — I'm just thinking about that first question you asked, too. Going back to that, when I went into making this thing, I thought it was going to be a comedy, and it became a tragedy by the end of it. And I think so much about America, where we are now. … It's funny how George in some ways almost represents both [Joe] Biden and [Donald] Trump, both in his decision-making [and in] the way he moves. He's of advanced age. Maybe he's sharp, maybe he's not sometimes, and then [there are] also all these people that are just scurrying around him, constantly losing favor with him because maybe he doesn't like the way they look on a specific day, or he doesn't like the joke they're telling him. Just the idea of power and what that does to people, to me, it almost makes the documentary feel almost like a story of the American empire in decline, or America in miniature, but just inside this very specific subculture. Ren Faire is now streaming on Max. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Best of GoldDerby How Eddie Redmayne crafted his 'deeply unflappable' assassin on 'The Day of the Jackal' TV composers roundtable: 'Adolescence,' 'Day of the Jackal,' 'Interview With the Vampire,' 'Your Friends and Neighbors' 'Your Friends and Neighbors' composer Dominic Lewis on matching the show's tonal shifts and writing the catchy theme song 'The Joneses' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Texas Renaissance Festival founder ‘King George' dies at Todd Mission home
The Brief Texas Renaissance Festival founder George "King George" Coulam has died at his home in Todd Mission, officials confirm. His cause of death is not known at this time. Coulam was the founder and longtime owner of the festival. He previously served as mayor of Todd Mission for more than 40 years. TODD MISSION, Texas - Texas Renaissance Festival founder George "King George" Coulam has died, authorities confirm. What we know According to the Todd Mission city manager, police were called to Coulam's home at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday. He was found deceased in his home. The cause of Coulam's death is under investigation by the Texas Rangers, Todd Mission Police, and the Grimes County Sheriff's Office. Officials say there is no suspected danger to the public. What we don't know Coulam's cause of death is not known at this time. Dig deeper Coulam is the founder and longtime owner of the Texas Renaissance Festival. He started the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974, and it has grown into the largest of its kind in the United States. In addition to being the festival's leader, Coulam served as mayor of Todd Mission for more than four decades, but lost the most recent election on May 3. In 2024, the HBO docuseries "Ren Faire" focused on the festival's succession and Coulam's eventual retirement, highlighting the tension between his desire to find a romantic partner and his need to choose a successor. It also highlighted Coulam's strict leadership style. There have been ongoing legal disputes and potential sales of the festival, with a recent judge's order in early May mandating the sale of Coulam's properties, including the festival. What they're saying Niki Marshall is a former member of the performance company with the Texas Renaissance Festival. She says not all of her memories of George's leadership are positive, but the TRF community will keep the festival going. "The only thing that I could say for him is that he did hire some pretty cool people to be in that space," said Marshall. "He gave us the direction that we needed, and I got the opportunity to really make a difference. And it wasn't just for me, it was for the patrons that we performed for every day." Organizers of the Texas Renaissance Festival sent the following statement to FOX 26: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of George Coulam, founder of the Texas Renaissance Festival. For more than 50 years, he built a community that has become a cherished tradition for generations of performers, staff, and guests. At this time, we ask for respect and privacy for Mr. Coulam's family and the extended Texas Renaissance Festival family as they grieve. As this is a deeply personal matter, we are not offering additional comments at this time." Todd Mission City Manager Neal Wendele made the following statement: "Mr. Coulam, a visionary leader, founded the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974, transforming a remote area into a cultural destination. His visionary leadership led to the incorporation of Todd Mission in 1982, where he served as the first and only mayor until May 8, 2025, shaping our community's unique identity. The City of Todd Mission offers its deepest condolences to Mr. Coulam's family and friends. We request privacy for those affected and will provide updates as appropriate." The Source The information in this article was gathered from sources, the Grimes County Sheriff's Office, and the Texas Renaissance Festival.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Coulam, ‘Ren Faire' Docuseries Subject and Founder of Texas Renaissance Festival, Dies at 87
George Coulam, the founder and longstanding owner of the Texas Renaissance Festival whose eclectic lifestyle and hunt for a successor were documented in the 2024 HBO docuseries 'Ren Faire,' was found dead in his home in Todd Mission, Texas on Wednesday morning. He was 87. An investigation remains ongoing and a cause of death is not known at this time. The Todd Mission Police Department was dispatched to Coulam's residence, adjacent to the Renaissance Festival's premises, on Wednesday morning. The Grimes County Sheriff's Office and Texas Rangers were present for assistance. Coulam was pronounced dead by authorities upon arrival. More from Variety 'Ren Faire' Finale: Director Talks Who Won, What Will Happen to the Renaissance Festival and How the Subjects Reacted to the Docuseries Welcome to 'Ren Faire': Lance Oppenheim's HBO Docuseries Follows a Festival Trapped in a Real-Life Game of Thrones 'Spermworld' Documentary Introduces the 'Sperm Kings' Who Use Facebook to Donate to Dozens - or Hundreds - of Women 'To our Texas Renaissance family and friends, we are deeply saddened by the loss of George Coulam, founder of the Texas Renaissance Festival,' the Texas Renaissance Festival wrote in a statement on social media. 'For more than 50 years, he built a community that has become a cherished tradition for generations of performers, staff and guests. At this time, we ask for respect and privacy for Mr. Coulam's family and the extended Texas Renaissance Festival family as they grieve.' Coulam's death comes less than two weeks after a Grimes County District court ordered the Texas Renaissance Festival must be sold, ending a nearly two-year civil case. In the decision, Judge Gary W. Chaney of the 506th state District Court, also ordered that Coulam must pay over $23 million in damages to cover attorney's fees and money lost by the fest's buyer. The suit alleged that a group of RW Lands Inc., says Texas Stargate, Inc., Royal Campground, Inc., and Texas RF, Inc. agreed to purchase the Festival, property and assets from Coulam for $60 million. The plaintiff claimed that Coulam and his associates did not provide required documents for the sale and that the original owners failed to close the transaction by its agreed-upon date. Coulam denied the allegations. Coulam founded the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974 and has overseen its growth into the largest such gathering in the United States. Along with the court order to sell, Coulam also lost office as the mayor of the fest's premises, Todd Mission, in early May. He had been the only mayor of the town since its 1982 incorporation until losing re-election this year, with city council member Stephen Mensing sworn in. The operations of the Texas Renaissance Festival, infamous among locals, were documented in the 2024 HBO docuseries 'Ren Faire,' which followed Coulam's less-than-motivated search for a successor to lead the festival, and the surrounding business affiliates vying to take over operations. The three-episode run also included details of Coulam's dedicated online dating pursuits and his unforgiving temperament around his staff. The series' events concluded prior to the emergence of the recent civil lawsuit against Coulam that reached an end in early May. 'Functionally, he actually is a king. He's created a real-life fiefdom,' series director and executive producer Lance Oppenheim told Variety in an interview before the series premiered. 'The first thing he said to me was 'I used to play the king, but now I'm a horny old man. I want to find someone that can take care of the festival.' These were the things just flowing out of him. He was maybe looking for an outlet — somebody that he has no control over. He doesn't have any friends that he doesn't employ.' Coulam faced other legal troubles in recent years, including allegations of sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The festival settled a 2021 lawsuit filed by a former employee, who claimed that Coulam made her sift through 'sugar daddy' websites to facilitate his romantic life. Per Coulam's official website, he earned his master's degree in art from the University of California at North Ridge. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Texas Renaissance Festival owner ‘King George' found dead
GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (FOX 44) – George Coulam, better known as 'King George' of the Texas Renaissance Festival, was found dead on Wednesday morning. Law enforcement has confirmed with FOX 44 News that Coulam was found dead at his home in Todd Mission. An investigation into the death is underway. This comes after Coulam was ordered to sell his kingdom earlier this month after a lengthy legal dispute. A Grimes County judge upheld the sale of the property and ordered its assets and land to change hands following a failed $60 million deal. The Texas Renaissance Festival is known as an event which transports visitors into the magic and splendor of the Renaissance era. According to the official event website, it is the largest and most acclaimed Renaissance-themed attraction in the United States. This is a developing story. FOX 44 News will have more information as it becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
