“King Ivory” Trailer Drops: A Gritty, Ground-Level Look at America’s Fentanyl War

Roadside Attractions and Saban Films have unveiled the official trailer for King Ivory, an intense crime thriller from writer-director John Swab, known for his raw, unflinching narratives. Set against the harsh realities of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the film digs deep into the sprawling networks of fentanyl trafficking—and how it poisons not only streets but families. This isn't your typical drug war story; King Ivory is a boots-on-the-ground exposé that hits where it hurts.

 

Based on years of immersive research with law enforcement, gangs, addicts, and inmates, the film centers on Layne West (played by James Badge Dale), a Tulsa narcotics officer who finds himself in too deep when his own son becomes an addict. What begins as duty soon turns deeply personal, pulling West into a brutal mission to dismantle the city’s interconnected crime syndicates. The trailer paints a bleak, relentless picture of a war with no clean victories—and no one left untouched.

 

The film boasts a powerhouse ensemble cast, including Ben Foster, Michael Mando, Rory Cochrane, Melissa Leo, Graham Greene, and Ritchie Coster. Each portrays a player in the tangled criminal web: from cartel boss Ramón Garza, to prison-based kingpin Holt Lightfeather, to the Irish Mob matriarch Ginger Greene. It’s a gritty, layered dive into how power, addiction, and violence bleed across borders, neighborhoods, and even bloodlines.

 

Swab’s previous films (Body Brokers, Ida Red) have tackled addiction and crime from different angles, but King Ivory seems to merge both themes into his most ambitious work yet. With cinematography capturing the cold bleakness of Tulsa’s streets and prisons, and a script that doesn't shy away from the systemic rot beneath, this film promises to be a searing, timely thriller with serious emotional weight.

 

King Ivory opens in theaters on November 14th, 2025, and if the trailer is any indication, it's not here to entertain—it's here to confront.

 

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