Piece of Magic Entertainment, Cinema Nolita and producer Shani Hinton have partnered on the worldwide theatrical release of Christopher André Marks’ upcoming feature documentary KING OTTO. The film chronicles the incredible underdog story of the 2004 Greek National Football team who, against all odds, won the European Championship under the leadership of legendary German football coach “King” Otto Rehhagel. The announcement was made today by Piece Of Magic Entertainment’s CEO Caspar Nadaud.

Audiences across the world looked on in disbelief and awe as the 300-1 outsiders, a team that had never won a single match in a major tournament, took down the giants of world football to become the unlikeliest of European Champions. The architect behind this unprecedented triumph was legendary German football coach “King” Otto Rehhagel.  After accomplishing every major success in his own country, he made the bold decision to leave everything he knew behind and work with the underachieving Greek National Team. This is the story of how these two contrasting cultures came together to speak the same language and unite to write a new chapter in Greek mythology. 

Christopher André Marks is a Greek-American filmmaker who previously worked with HBO Sports and ESPN Films (TIGER HOOD), KING OTTO is his feature directorial debut. Marks is also producing with Hinton and Ronald L. Chez (MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT, CAFÉ SOCIETY) will executive produce. Additional production leads include Emmy award-winning editor Chris Iversen (THE GIFT: THE JOURNEY OF JOHNNY CASH, THE STORY OF DIANA) and music by Andrés Soto and Emmy award-winning composer Daniel Sebastien Weinberg.

Shani Hinton is a regular collaborator with award-winning documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield and her recent productions include MY FATHER AND ME, MARIANNE & LEONARD: WORDS OF LOVE and GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI. The agreement marks the second time Piece of Magic Entertainment will work on a documentary produced by Shani Hinton, following the successful 2019 international theatrical release of the critically acclaimed documentary MARIANNE & LEONARD: WORDS OF LOVE.

Shani Hinton commented: “Chris is an exciting new director to be working with and has brought this wonderful, warm story of Greek glory to life at a time when we need such up-lifting tales.  Otto and the Greek team created a bond that has carried on to this day and it is this mutual love and respect that shines through Chris’ film.”   

Caspar Nadaud added: “We are delighted to be working on another of Shani’s projects. She has a remarkable track record of producing riveting and commercially successful documentaries and working with Shani allows us to collaborate closely on international theatrical releases combining our in-built market by market knowledge with her keen insight and non-fiction expertise. With the 2020 European Championship scheduled this summer, this extraordinary David and Goliath feel good story couldn’t be more

timely.”

About Piece of Magic Entertainment

Piece of Magic Entertainment is an international theatrical distribution company, bringing a diverse range of world-class cinema and events to the global marketplace. Established in 2017, by Caspar Nadaud and Pierre Rieu, the company offers unique content ranging from commercially driven documentaries to world class concert experiences within a cinema network reaching thousands of screens across 90+ countries.

Piece of Magic Entertainment's slate includes Todd Douglas Miller’s award-winning box-office sensation APOLLO 11; feature documentary DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: A LIFE ON OUR PLANET, Nick Broomfield’s MARIANNE & LEONARD: WORDS OF LOVE; award-winning director Lauren Greenfield’s IMELDA MARCOS: THE KINGMAKER; Stanley Nelson’s MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL and the latest from the event cinema phenomenon ANDRÉ RIEU: 70 YEARS YOUNG which recently broke records internationally, including breaking the £2mn mark at the UK box office. For more information: www.pieceofmagic.com

Photo Caption: Traianos Dellas of Greece lifts the trophy during the UEFA Euro 2004 Final match between Portugal and Greece at the Luz Stadium on July 4, 2004 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Photo Credit: Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images