English actor Tim Roth (Hateful Eight) will play lead antagonist Ezra Shipman in Helium’s Last King of The Cross, taking over from Ian McShane after he withdrew from the production due to health concerns.
Filming commenced in Sydney earlier this month on the 10-part drama, which is based on the best-selling autobiography of John Ibrahim.
It was announced in March that McShane would take on the fictional character Shipman – the reigning King of The Cross.
Producer and Helium founder, Mark Fennessy, welcomed Roth to the production while also offering his best wishes to the Deadwood star.
“It’s unfortunate that Ian is unable to join us and we wish him a speedy recovery,” he said.
“We are truly delighted that the super brilliant Tim Roth joins our cast as Ezra, and cannot wait to see him breathe life into yet another unforgettable character”.
Written and to be directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith, and produced by Fennessy with Karl Zwicky, Last King of The Cross is an operatic story of two brothers, Sam and John Ibrahim who organise the street but lose each other in their ascent to power.
The story tracks John Ibrahim’s rise from a poverty-stricken immigrant with no education, no money, and no prospects, to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul in Sydney’s Kings Cross.
Lincoln Younes steps into the shoes of John Ibrahim, leading a cast that includes Callan Mulvey, Tess Haubrich, Claude Jabbour, Maria Tran, Matt Nable, and Damian Walshe-Howling.
There will also be appearances from Wadih Dona, Setareh Naghoni, Wesley Patten, Jake Ryan, Tony Nikolakopoulos, Simon Elrahi, Robert Rabiah, Justin Rosniak, and rising stars Allegra Monk and Malek Alkoni, who plays teen John.
Last King of The Cross is a Helium Pictures production for Paramount+ Australia with Cineflix Rights as the exclusive international distribution partner.