The wait is finally over, and the first two episodes of the eagerly awaited new season of the Paramount+ original series Last King of The Cross are dropping today.
Season 2 sees John (Lincoln Younes) returning to a Sydney that is far from the one he left behind. With Kings Cross decimated in the wake of the Royal Commission, John finds himself trailing a group of partygoers to the new epicentre of Sydney’s nightlife: Oxford Street. But securing his place in this new world won’t be easy. Nightclub owner Ray Kinnock (Naveen Andrews) emerges as a formidable rival, and new threats from Dean Taylor (Luke Arnold) and Benny Vasquez (Matuse) loom large. Meanwhile, Senior Sergeant Elizabeth Doyle (Tess Haubrich) keeps a close watch on John as his worlds of business, family, and crime collide across eight thrilling episodes.
Executive Producer Rick Maier, who works on the show alongside EP Mark Fennessy and producer Alexandra Doering sat down with B&T to reflect on the first season’s success and share a bit of what’s to come. “My sense is we have always been fascinated by a world in the shadows, and at some stage, most of us have experienced Kings Cross. The veracity of John Ibrahim behind the project also adds currency and access you wouldn’t normally find”.
“This is a series inspired by true events that have been fictionalised for dramatisation purposes, but it makes you think, did that part really happen? Is that what it’s really like? Those questions help fuel the fascination”.
The second season not only builds on the foundation of the first but also pushes the envelope with its storytelling. “Every show has to develop and improve on what’s gone before,” Maier explains. “Mark Fennessy and his team were all keen to push the ideas, the characters, and the stories further. I think audiences will be shocked – again – but in a good way. A lot of this series is genuinely ‘edge of your seat’ stuff”.
“It’s a cliché to say super-charged, but it fits the bill”.
The new season will explore uncharted territories, including the explosion of the dance scene and the party drug culture of Oxford Street. “I doubt we know enough – or much – about the dance scene, the explosion of party drugs or the power struggles for control of Oxford Street. This was a time when Darlinghurst really put itself on the world stage,” Maier told B&T. “It was a completely fresh insight for a lot of us.”
The cast continues to impress, with new additions such as Naveen Andrews and Luke Arnold and insane new storylines adding depth to the series. “The turf wars bring their own level of coercion, power and violence. How the bikie gangs and the big end of town fit into this puzzle is also fascinating,” Maier said. “If you’re going to match your level of performance with the Ibrahims (Lincoln and Claude), you need to be at the top of your game. It’s an incredible cast”.
Maier attributes “great source material and very smart writers” to the show’s success. “There’s obviously a lot of work behind the scenes on the series’ architecture and the series’ build to give the audience a really satisfying ride. And the characters themselves, often larger than life, are even more fully explored in Series 2,” he explained.
“The subtleties, the nuance, the primal drive to succeed and provide for family are all major considerations. Is it a lust for power? A need for power? Or something else entirely. Like all good drama, we hope we leave enough for the audience to draw their own conclusions. It’s a helluva ride”.
As for what lies ahead, Maier hints at even more to come: “Watch this space…”
Last King of the Cross is produced by HELIUM Pictures for Paramount+ Australia, with Cineflix Rights as the exclusive international distribution partner. The series has received major production investment from Paramount Australia in association with Screen Australia and is financed with support from Screen NSW through the Made in NSW fund and Fulcrum Media Finance. Post, digital, and visual effects are supported by Screen NSW and Screen Queensland.
Season 2 of Last King of the Cross joins a robust lineup of Paramount+ Australian Originals, including Fake, Top Gear Australia, and NCIS: Sydney. It will also premiere on Paramount+ Canada on August 30.
