MMA Series Kingdom Title Sequence by ‘The Tooth’

UG Exclusive: New MMA Series Kingdom Title Sequence Shot by Nick the Tooth

Kingdom is a new dramatic series set in the world of MMA, that premieres on Direct TV October 8th. The show stars Frank Grillo (Captain America), Nick Jonas, and Kiele Sanchez (The Purge: Anarchy) Both Greg Jackson and Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson, winner of season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter, served as consultants. Also, Nick the Tooth shot the photos for the opening title sequence. We cornered him for a few questions.

Underground: How did you get involved in the show?

Nick ‘The Tooth’: Last year I read about Nick Jonas signing onto a gritty dramatic series set in the world of MMA. So I cold called the production company and met with the producers. They loved the photos in my book, Into the Cage, and asked me to shoot for the trailer. 

Underground: Were you wary of their casting Nick Jonas as a fighter?

Nick ‘The Tooth’:Of course. I didn’t want to be associated with some ridiculous take on MMA. But I read the pilot script and saw it was centered in a gritty gym, far as it could be from the UFC—which is really the only way to pull this off. It reminded me of Sons of Anarchy. As for Jonas, even the show creator, Byron Balasco, was concerned with his involvement, but Jonas nailed the auditions, then bulked up. I saw early cuts. After reading Fight Club I couldn’t imagine Brad Pitt in the role of Tyler Durden, but he pulled it off, and the next year he killed it in Snatch. Which goes to show, acting is acting, and fighting is fighting.

Underground: How authentic is the fighting?

Nick ‘The Tooth’:Joe Daddy was on set everyday, working with the actors and stunt coordinators. The actors trained hard, and they’re very athletic. But it’s really a show about the fighters’ lives outside the cage. The stress of training, finances, injuries, etc. It’s a tough road, and the reality is that fighters aren’t the most balanced individuals. After all, instead of choosing an easy 9-to-5, at least at the outset, they’re scraping together nickels and battling absolute killers day after day just for a shot. Time is ticking away, and with the creeping doubt and interpersonal static, an MMA gym really is a great setting for a TV series. 

Cool fact: Frank Grillo, who plays the gym owner, earned a brown belt under Rickson Gracie. 

Underground: The title sequence doesn’t feature much in the way of fight shots, why? 

Nick ‘The Tooth’:Venice Beach is really a character in the series. When most people think California, they think palm trees and bikinis, but Venice is a melting pot of street gangs, homeless, and urban decay. I showed the producers my street photography, which I shoot more of than fighting, and they felt those shots were more illustrative. This made sense in many ways. Last year, at the end of the ADCC Q&A video I shot for the UG, I talked about Daido Moriyama, a Japanese street photographer who has really influenced my style. 

For a better look at the show Kingdom, watch the Extended Trailer released by Directv: