MALIK DAVIS
Upscale Promotions & Entertainment, Inc. Presents
KING OF THE SOUTH
The Atlanta Reign
Written by Blake Karrington
"To keep her Buckhead legacy clean, she must become the most feared monster in Bankhead."
The Pitch
Logline
After Atlanta's top street legend is gunned down in a viral hit, his Buckhead-mogul wife must reclaim her Bankhead roots to run his empire, outmaneuver a traitorous partner, and claim the throne that was always half hers.
Why It Works
The Hook
Viral Ignition
A viral assassination attempt strips Atlanta of its king — forcing the queen to reveal herself. The "Buckhead Slap" in Episode 1 is engineered for TikTok stitch potential.
The Fantasy
Soft Life, Street DNA
Amara is the "Soft Life" fantasy made real — luxury, real estate, peace — but she carries the street credentials to protect every inch of it.
The Conflict
Buckhead vs. Bankhead
Two Atlantas at war inside one woman. The polished CEO versus the ruthless street queen. The audience lives in that tension every 90 seconds.
The Engine
Biometric Lock
A $500M empire secured by Amara's DNA. If her life ends, the money vanishes. The audience's investment in her survival is literal and financial.
Format Specifications
Format
9:16 Vertical
Runtime
90 Sec / Episode
Episodes
60 Total
Seasons
3 Seasons
Genre
Romance & Power
Platform
Hartbeat Vertical
The World
Series Summary
King of the South is a high-octane vertical drama that merges the polished "Black Excellence" of Buckhead with the raw, high-stakes grit of Bankhead. We open on a viral assassination attempt that strips the city of its leader, forcing his estranged, elite wife, Amara, to reclaim the throne.
The show is engineered for the mobile-first Black female audience — every episode is a 90-second hit of power, betrayal, and luxury. The "Gala Slap" in Episode 1 is designed specifically for TikTok/Reels "stitch" potential to drive app installs. Episode 9 (The Kidnapping) and Episode 10 (The Ascension) introduce a "Biometric Lock" on the empire's $500M, forcing users to convert to paid currency to see the resolution.
Shot in 5–6 days using 5 primary Atlanta locations — Penthouse, Boardroom, Warehouse, ICU Suite, G-Wagon — the production is lean, efficient, and built for scale.
Atlanta, Georgia — The Empire's Stage
Psychological Drivers — The "Black Woman Power" Stack
Public Respect
Our audience views public disrespect as the ultimate betrayal. Amara's immediate, high-status retaliation — The Buckhead Slap — satisfies the "Public Claiming" driver in the first 60 seconds.
The Soft Life Earned
Amara represents the fantasy of luxury, real estate, and peace — but she carries the "Street DNA" required to protect it. She is the provider and protector, not a victim.
Protection Without Control
The romance with King is built on him needing her protection while she maintains her autonomy. He chooses her publicly under pressure, hitting the "Loyalty Tested" driver.
Generational Elevation
Amara isn't just a "dope girl" — she is an architect using "dirty" money to build a clean, multi-billion dollar legacy for the community.
"To keep her Buckhead legacy clean, she must become the most feared monster in Bankhead."
The Players
Lead Characters
Press Play Voiceover to hear the character introduction. Theme song mutes automatically during playback.
AMARA
LEAD — THE QUEEN
34. Polished, strategic, lethal. Atlanta's "Real Estate Queen." She escaped the streets ten years ago, but her husband's near-assassination forces her to trade silk gowns for a chrome .45. She demands public respect and won't play second to any man.
Total Social Reach
9.2MKING
LOVE INTEREST — THE ICON
36. High-status, emotionally guarded, street icon. The archetype of power. Even in a coma, his legacy is the prize. He must learn to submit to Amara's strategy if he wants to survive.
Total Social Reach
2.42MSTRAP
VILLAIN — THE HUNGRY TRAITOR
32. High-energy, impulsive, street-flashy. King's partner who wants the empire — and Amara — for himself. Leather biker jackets, gold-plated AK, predatory smirk. He was in the trenches while King went soft, and now he's coming to collect everything.
Social Media
Total Social Reach
227KAGENT MARCUS
ANTAGONIST — THE LAW
40. Federal agent with a personal vendetta against King's empire. Methodical, relentless, and willing to bend the law to get his collar. He becomes Amara's most dangerous obstacle — and her most unexpected temptation.
Attached Actor
American Sniper (2014) · Brotherly Love (2015) · November Criminals (2017)
Total Social Reach
1.21MTIFFANY
ANTAGONIST — THE CLIMBER
28. A ruthless social climber and King's mistress. She provides the public disrespect that triggers Amara's ascension. Her "Buckhead Slap" moment in Episode 1 is the viral ignition point for the entire series.
Social Media
Total Social Reach
378KThe Format
Vertical Showcase
KING OF THE SOUTH
The Atlanta Reign
9:16
Vertical Format
90 Sec
Per Episode
60 Eps
Full Series
Mobile
First Design
The Story
Scripts
Written by Blake Karrington
Screenplay written by Upscale Promotions and Entertainment, Inc. and Delmone Rivers
"The Buckhead Slap"
Written by Blake Karrington
Screenplay written by Upscale Promotions and Entertainment, Inc. and Delmone Rivers
SCENE 1
INT. BUCKHEAD LUXURY PENTHOUSE - NIGHT
CLOSE UP on AMARA (34, stunning in a skin-tight black silk gown that hugs every curve). She's sitting at a glass desk, counting a thick stack of $100 bills. Her nails are perfect; her expression is cold.
AMARA (V.O.)
(Cold, rhythmic)
In Atlanta, status is the only currency that doesn't depreciate. You're either the brand... or you're the business.
SOUND: CHIME. A notification pings.
WIDE ANGLE (9:16): The floor-to-ceiling windows show the glittering Atlanta skyline. Amara's phone screen glows on the desk.
INSERT - PHONE SCREEN: A Shade Room post. "URGENT: King of the South gunned down in Midtown!"
AMARA
(Breath hitches, eyes go lethal)
Not tonight, King.
SCENE 2
INT. BUCKHEAD BALLROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Amara sweeps into the room. The elite crowd parts like the Red Sea. She looks flawless, but her hand is clenched.
TIFFANY (28, wearing a neon-pink "baddie" dress) blocks her path, holding her phone up with a nasty smirk.
TIFFANY
Hey, CEO. Looks like the "King of the South" just got demoted to a chalk outline. Guess that makes you a widow with a very expensive mortgage.
The socialites around them whisper. Cameras flash.
SOUND: SLAP. Amara doesn't hesitate. She delivers a thunderous backhand that sends Tiffany's phone flying and knocks her into a pyramid of champagne glasses. Tiffany crashes into the glass, drenched and stunned.
AMARA
(Leaning over her, whisper-lethal)
The King is in the hospital. Which means the Queen is in the room. If you ever speak his name again, I'll bury you under the street you came from.
Amara turns to the room of stunned moguls. She doesn't even fix her hair.
AMARA
(To the room)
The business doesn't stop. It just got a new CEO.
SCENE 3
INT. AMARA'S G-WAGON - NIGHT
Amara is driving 100mph. She rips off her diamond necklace. She pulls a CHROME .45 from a hidden dash compartment. She racks the slide. CLICK-CLACK.
AMARA
(Into phone)
Strap. I'm at the warehouse in five. If the product isn't loaded, you're the first one I'm putting in the ground.
CLIFFHANGER:
Amara drifts the G-Wagon into the Bankhead warehouse lot. Shooters with AKs surround the car. She steps out, her gown slit up the thigh to reveal a leather holster.
AMARA
Which one of you wants to test the Queen's aim first?
BLACKOUT.
The Architecture
Beat Sheets
Episodes 2–10 · Color-coded by beat type
"The Blood Code"
Amara faces down 5 armed shooters at the warehouse — unarmed, in a silk gown.
She reveals the biometric vault — her DNA is the key to $500M.
Strap reveals the hit on King is already paid for.
A hitman levels a gun at comatose King's head on the vault monitors.
"The Deed Drop"
Amara leverages the street connects' legitimate real estate assets — she owns the infrastructure.
She executes a hostile takeover of Strap's supply chain using property liens.
Amara visits King in the ICU — whispers the plan into his ear.
Tiffany is found photographing the deed documents.
"The Fed Visit"
Amara's high-school flame arrives — now a federal agent. He's been watching the empire for years.
Amara plays it cool — offers him coffee and a counter-narrative.
Strap moves to eliminate the Fed — Amara stops him, protecting her leverage.
The Fed leaves a burner phone on Amara's desk.
"The Ascension"
The "Deed Drop" completes — Amara secures all street connects by owning their properties.
Strap attempts a coup — Amara's crew shuts it down in the boardroom.
King wakes from the coma — first words: "Where's Amara?"
Amara is named "Acting CEO" of the empire by King's inner circle.
"The Penthouse War"
Tiffany leaks the deed documents to a gossip blog — Amara's real estate empire is exposed.
Amara goes to war — legal and otherwise — to suppress the story.
She buys the blog. The story disappears.
Tiffany is found in Amara's penthouse — with King's burner phone.
"The Gala"
King attends the Power 100 Gala in a wheelchair — Amara at his side.
King publicly claims Amara — "She is the Queen of the South."
A rival attempts a hit in the parking lot — King executes him from his wheelchair.
The Feds photograph the execution from across the street.
"The Squeeze"
The Feds squeeze the firm — Amara's real estate REIT is subpoenaed.
Amara begins laundering the street empire into a legitimate REIT — $500M going clean.
King and Amara's relationship reaches its peak — he asks her to be his wife, not his partner.
Amara receives a call — Strap has kidnapped her mother.
"The Kidnapping"
Amara goes full street — assembles a crew to rescue her mother from Strap.
One of Amara's crew is revealed as Strap's informant.
Amara uses the biometric vault as leverage — threatens to destroy the $500M if her mother is harmed.
BIOMETRIC LOCK: The $500M is locked behind a second layer — users must convert to paid currency to see the resolution.
"The Ascension (Part II)"
Amara rescues her mother — Strap escapes but loses his crew.
The REIT conversion completes — $500M is now legitimate. The empire is clean.
King accepts a "Consort" role — Amara is the undisputed ruler.
Strap disappears — and the Fed's burner phone rings in Amara's pocket.
The Journey
Season Arc
3 Seasons · 60 Episodes · One Throne
The Ascension
Episodes 1–20 · 20 Episodes
Amara pivots from CEO to Queen. She secures the street connects by leveraging their legitimate real estate assets in the "Deed Drop" (Ep 5), proving she owns the city's infrastructure. Season climax: King recovers and returns to Buckhead in a wheelchair. He "claims" Amara publicly at a Power 100 gala, executing a rival in the parking lot to restore her honor.
Ep 1–5
The Buckhead Slap → The Deed Drop
Viral ignition, street consolidation
Ep 6–10
The Biometric Lock
Conversion wave, $500M at stake
Ep 11–15
The Fed Squeeze
Federal pressure, REIT conversion begins
Ep 16–20
The Public Claiming
King returns, gala execution, empire secured
Turning Point
Episode 20: The Public Claiming — King executes a rival to restore Amara's honor.
The Reversal
Episodes 21–40 · 20 Episodes
The Feds (led by Amara's high-school flame) squeeze the firm. Amara must choose: flip on King to save her business, or launder the entire street empire into a billion-dollar legitimate REIT. Strap resurfaces with new allies and a plan to destroy everything Amara has built.
Ep 21–25
The Fed Ultimatum
Flip or launder — Amara's impossible choice
Ep 26–30
Strap's Return
New allies, new threat, old betrayal
Ep 31–35
The REIT War
Corporate warfare meets street warfare
Ep 36–40
The Reversal
Empire goes legitimate, Feds neutralized
Turning Point
Episode 40: The Reversal — Amara chooses the REIT over the Feds. The empire goes clean.
The Final Reign
Episodes 41–60 · 20 Episodes
A massive showdown at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium during a gala. Amara outsmarts the Feds, bankrupts the rivals, and kills Strap. King accepts a "Consort" role. Amara is the undisputed King of the South.
Ep 41–45
The Billion-Dollar Move
REIT goes public, Amara becomes a billionaire
Ep 46–50
The Final Betrayal
Strap's last play — he targets King directly
Ep 51–55
The Gala War
Mercedes-Benz Stadium showdown
Ep 56–60
The Final Reign
Strap eliminated, King consort, Amara crowned
Turning Point
Episode 60: The Final Reign — Amara kills Strap at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. She is the undisputed King of the South.
The Landscape
Comparables
King of the South occupies the intersection of all six — with a mobile-first vertical format none of them have.
Power
Ended — 6 Seasons (2014–2020)
Street empire + legitimate business dual life
Queen Sugar
Ended — 7 Seasons (2016–2022)
Black female lead navigating legacy and power
Snowfall
Ended — 6 Seasons (2017–2023)
Street-level empire building with political stakes
BMF
Cancelled — 4 Seasons (2021–2025)
Atlanta-based empire, family loyalty, street code
Harlem
Ended — 3 Seasons (2021–2025)
Black female professionals navigating power & love
Raising Kanan
Ended — 5 Seasons (2021–2026)
Origin story, family empire, street ascension
The Market Gap
Every comparable title above was built for the 16:9 living room. King of the South is the first premium street drama engineered natively for the 9:16 phone screen — where the Black female audience already lives.
Ended / Cancelled
5 of 6
Audience is unserved
Avg. Episode Count
52.5 eps
Proven appetite for long-form
Peak Viewership
10.8M
Power (Starz) — the ceiling
Mobile-First Format
0 of 6
The gap King of the South fills
Sources: Variety, TVLine, TVSeriesFinale, Wikipedia, The Futon Critic — Data current as of March 2026.
The Market
Analytics & Demographics
Primary Audience
Black Women 25–45
U.S. Market
Mobile Engagement
+40%
vs. General Population
Target Platform
Hartbeat Vertical
Mobile-First
Episode Format
90 Seconds
Vertical 9:16
Conversion Point
Episode 9–10
Biometric Lock
Mobile Video Engagement (Indexed, General Pop. = 100)
Target Age Demographics
- 18–24
- 25–34
- 35–44
- 45–54
- 55+
Projected App Install Conversion Waves (Indexed)
Primary Audience Gender Split
68%
Women 25–45
20%
Men 25–45
12%
Other
Submission Ready
Compliance
of 17
Hartbeat Vertical Requirements Met
Submission Package
Series title and logline
Episode count and runtime
Format specification (9:16 vertical)
Production company and rights holder
Contact information for legal representation
Story & Format Evaluation
Serialized narrative structure
90-second episode format
Cliffhanger / hook at episode end
Mobile-first visual language
Audience & Genre Evaluation
Target demographic defined
Genre clearly established
Comparable titles provided
Social media audience demonstrated
Production Viability Evaluation
Scripts provided (minimum 2 episodes)
Beat sheets provided
Cast attached or proposed
Legal representation confirmed
Get in Touch
Contact
MALIK DAVIS
Upscale Promotions & Entertainment, Inc.
IP Ownership:
Upscale Promotions & Entertainment, Inc.
Legal Representation
The Law Office of Omara S. Harris, Esq, LLC
Entertainment & Music Law
Phone
404-409-7354The Pitch
"After Atlanta's top street legend is gunned down in a viral hit, his Buckhead-mogul wife must reclaim her Bankhead roots to run his empire, outmaneuver a traitorous partner, and claim the throne that was always half hers."