Cineflix Rights, 20 years in the content industry
Last King of The Cross
As one of the largest independent UK TV distributors, Cineflix attends to Cannes for MIPCOM 2022, where the company celebrates its 20th and the launch of a new drama.
Cineflix Rights returns to MIPCOM to celebrate its twentieth anniversary with a huge celebration, where the company launches its new drama Last King Cross. The series is inspired by the autobiography of nightclub owner John Ibrahim and his experiences in Sydney’s Kings Cross.
Sabrina Ayala, SVP, Sales (France, Italy, Iberia and Latin America) talks with Prensario, who comments the current moment of the company into the content market: We are continuing to build our factual and scripted slate, with an emphasis on providing strong returning series and standout dramas for our buyers in Latin America and beyond’.
The executive mentions recent sales in Latin America, such as HBO/Warner Media Latin America which acquired multi-award-winning Israeli police corruption drama Manayek (Seasons 1&2, Yoav Gross Productions for Kan 11, Israel); DirecTV Latin America and Sky Brazil that bought Rebecca, the fast-paced, crime drama set in Paris (8×60’, ELEPHANT for TF1, France); and A&E Latin America who toke two of their movies – Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story (1×90,Cineflix Productions for Lifetime, US) and Stolen By Their Father (1×90, Cineflix Productions for Lifetime, US).
At the same time, Ayala unveils that they are also currently in negotiations for a large package of scripted titles with a ‘soon-to-be-launched’ SVOD platform in the territory.
Regarding the needs in the market, the executive notice that their clients and buyers are ‘particularly’ interested in long running brands to build viewer loyalty, whether that’s through multi-season unscripted showsin the lifestyle and true crime space or returning dramas or our growing number of movies. ‘We are dedicated to looking after clients at all levels and making a bigger effort than ever before to make sure we are working with them to maximise our biggest franchises on their platforms’, express.
In addition to Last King Of the Cross (10×60’), produced by HELIUM Pictures for Paramount+ Australia, Ayala remarks Patrick Ayree’s Wild World, an own production for Sky One UK, which follows British biologist and explorer Patrick Ayreetravels the globe to explore how nature’s delicate balance can be disrupted—and restored. And the Observational documentary series Yorkshire Auction House (S1&2, 30×60’, STV Productions for Discovery+, UK) presents auctioneer Angus Ashworth and his staff throughout the process from house viewings to auction day as they travel around the UK looking for antiques and collectables to sell.
Last King of The Cross
Inspired by John Ibrahim’s best-selling autobiography charting his rise from a poverty-stricken immigrant with no education, no money, and no prospects to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul, Last King of The Cross is an operatic story of two brothers who organize the street but lose each other in their ascent to power.
The series stars Lincoln Younes (Grand
Hotel, Tangle, Barons), Claude Jabbour (Eden, Stateless), Callan Mulvey (300: Rise of an Empire, David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King), Tess Haubrich (Spiderhead, Alien: Covenant), Maria Tran (Truy Sat, Echo 8), Matt Nable (Riddick, Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms), and Tim Roth (The Hateful Eight, Lie to Me, Sundown).
Arriving in Australia in the late 1980s, Lebanese-born teenagers John (Younes) and his older brother Sam (Jabbour) quickly find themselves drawn to the glittering lights of Sydney’s Kings Cross—a mini-Atlantic City, barely half a mile long and with every form of criminality on offer.
The two brothers enter its underworld and quickly make a name for themselves. One
possesses incredible intelligence and invention, while the other provides muscle and intimidation. Together, they are unstoppable.
But just as John is establishing himself as a nightclub owner, the cocaine wave hits Sydney like a virus. As rivers of money begin to flow in different directions, loyalties are questioned, and Kings Cross’ delicate ecosystem is spun into chaos. For the first time in 30 years the kingdom is up for grabs. To gain control, the brothers must battle the reigning King of The Cross, Ezra Shipman (Roth), the looming threat of a Vietnamese gang led by the ruthless Madame Tien (Tran), various outlaw motorcycle clubs, and a corrupt police force that belongs to no one.
About Cineflix
Cineflix Rights celebrates its 20th anniversary this year as the UK’s largest, truly independent distributor with a catalogue of premium scripted series, movies, and long-running factual brands from some of the world’s most creative producers.
Our latest scripted slate is headed up by new crime drama Last King of The Cross, starring Tim Roth and Lincoln Younes. Inspired by true events, the series charts the rise of a poverty-stricken immigrant with no education, no money, and no prospects to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul and is set in Sydney’s decadent, iconic Kings Cross district in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Reginald the Vampire, starring Spider-Man’s Jacob Batalon, is a dramedy series which turns traditional vampire tropes on their head; and feature thriller Sugar is inspired by the dramatic real-life story of two young influencers on a luxury vacation who became known as the Cocaine Cowgirls.
They join returning seasons of Irvine Welsh’s Crime starring Dougray Scott in his International Emmy®-nominated role as Ray Lennox for ITVX and BritBox; International Emmy® Best Drama Award-winning Tehran, the Apple TV+ espionage thriller; renowned Israeli police corruption drama, Manayek; and Acorn TV’s cozy crime series Whitstable Pearl.
Our new factual titles include innovative natural history series Patrick Aryee’s Wild World; 80-episode escapist travel show Holiday Homes in the Sun; touching personal stories in The Yorkshire Auction House; chilling true crime with Cult Justice and Somebody’s Hiding Something; Close Encounters Down Under investigates the most bizarre alien contacts of all time; Ghost Ships, which uncovers the truth about historic maritime catastrophes; and History of the Sitcom—reuniting audiences with the television characters they grew up with. These must-watch shows sit alongside new seasons of many globally successful brands on our slate.
Independently owned and creatively led, Cineflix Rights provides a full range of innovative financing models to get shows greenlit with the scale and flexibility to deliver individually tailored distribution strategies which generate the best results for our producer partners and buyers. Led by CEO Tim Mutimer, our outstanding sales and acquisitions team is recognised as one of the best in the business.
Established in 2002, Cineflix Rights is based in London and part of the Cineflix Media group of companies.
Sales Executive
