Roadside Attractions and Saban Films have released the trailer for King Ivory, the latest film from award-winning filmmaker John Swab (One Day as a Lion, Little Dixie) — a gritty, uncompromising thriller that explores the deadly realities of fentanyl trafficking in the United States.
Based on extensive research with law enforcement, gangs, inmates, migrants and addicts, King Ivory positions itself as an exposé of the fentanyl epidemic and its far-reaching consequences. Swab, who both wrote and directed the film, presents a world where the drug trade touches all corners of society — from civilians to criminals to law enforcement — and no one remains untouched.
Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the story follows narcotics officer Layne West (James Badge Dale), whose job takes on new urgency when his own son, Jack (Jasper Jones), becomes addicted to fentanyl. Working alongside his partner Ty (George Carroll) and FBI agent Beatty (Rory Cochrane), West attempts to track down those responsible for fuelling the epidemic.
The film features a wide-reaching network of traffickers, from Ramón Garza (Michael Mando), a local figure for the Mexican cartel, to Holt Lightfeather (Graham Greene), the Indian Brotherhood War Chief, who continues to oversee trafficking operations from inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, known as “Big Mac”. Also involved is the local Irish Mob, led by George “Smiley” Greene (Ben Foster), his mother Ginger (Melissa Leo), and uncle Mickey (Ritchie Coster).
During a visit to the prison, Lightfeather offers West a warning that underlines the film’s central message: “The cartels want your kids, the next generation, who want what is new, and fentanyl is new.”
The film is produced by Jeremy M. Rosen, p.g.a.
King Ivory premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it was awarded the 2024 Smithers Foundation Award, and will have its U.S. premiere as the Centerpiece selection at the 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival.
The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, highlighting its “harrowingly real action sequences, tough-as-nails characters and an overall level of grittiness that demands attention.”
King Ivory will be released in cinemas nationwide on Friday 14 November.
