Underbelly star Firass Dirani says he is definitely NOT returning to play John Ibrahim


Underbelly star Firass Dirani says he is definitely NOT returning to play John Ibrahim as production on the true crime series Last King Of The Cross prepares to get underway in Sydney

  • Underbelly heartthrob Firass Dirani says his Ibrahim ‘chapter is done’  
  • Streaming service Paramount + soon to announce the full cast
  • Last King Of The Cross currently in pre-production in Sydney
  •  Filming set to begin across several locations next month
  • Series to be based on Ibrahim’s autobiography released in 2018   


SAS Australia contestant and Underbelly star Firass Dirani has ruled himself out of any involvement with the upcoming John Ibrahim TV series set to begin filming in Sydney next month.

The actor, who shot to instant fame playing Ibrahim in the 2010 Underbelly series The Golden Mile, was rumoured in TV circles to be in line to reprise his turn as Ibrahim for the new production being created for streaming service Paramount +.

However the actor, who has recently veered into a career in digital content creation, snuffed out the talk and said he no plans to return to the role which won him wide acclaim.

‘That chapter is closed,’ Dirani confirmed to Daily Mail Australia.

Firass says no: Despite returning to screens on SAS Australia Firass Dirani wont reprise Underbelly role

Firass says no: Despite returning to screens on SAS Australia Firass Dirani wont reprise Underbelly role

John Ibrahim with model partner Sarah Budge in Sydney on Friday

John Ibrahim with model partner Sarah Budge in Sydney on Friday

Breakout: Firass Dirani shot to fame as John Ibrahim in 2010's The Golden Mile

Breakout: Firass Dirani shot to fame as John Ibrahim in 2010’s The Golden Mile

Dirani was plucked from obscurity to play John Ibrahim in Underbelly

Dirani was plucked from obscurity to play John Ibrahim in Underbelly

It now leaves open the question of who will play Ibrahim in the autobiographical tale set to begin shooting across a number of locations in Sydney next month.

Several other actors have been touted as contenders including Zac Efron who allegedly met with Ibrahim in Sydney last year while he was in Australia shooting the Stan thriller Gold.

The pair reportedly dined together and Ibrahim ‘felt him out’ for the lead role however it’s understood he was unable to commit at the time due to scheduling conflict.

Efron is expected to begin shooting The Disney reboot of Three Men and A Baby in the US this year and in line to serve as executive producer on a number of other projects including the true crime investment banking tell-all Straight To Hell. 

Another A-list actor, Oscar Isaac, was also allegedly approached during the project’s early days but passed. 

The series, meanwhile, is set to play out across three episodes and explore John’s relationship with his brother Sam as they ascend to power in Sydney’s nightclub scene during the nineties and beyond.

Produced by former Endemol Shine CEO Mark Fennessy, the series is based of the autobiography of the same name published back in 2017 that went in to become something of a surprise bestseller for Pan Macmillan.

The tome that started it all - John Ibrahim's surprise best seller released in 2017

The tome that started it all – John Ibrahim’s surprise best seller released in 2017

TV producer Mark Fennessy (L) is overseeing the series for Paramount +

TV producer Mark Fennessy (L) is overseeing the series for Paramount +

The project was briefly rumoured to be in the sights of streaming giant Netflix however it landed at Paramount + last year and is set to air in the second half of 2022.

It’s believed veteran screenwriter Kieran Darcy-Smith (Animal Kingdom, Wolf Creek) has penned the script.

Filming finally comes after several years and a handful of false starts as the project slowly made its way to pre-production.

It’s understood Ibrahim, who was sighted yesterday attending the gender reveal for best pal and expectant father Kyle Sandilands, has taken a ‘very hands on’ approach to the series in particular in the way that he is portrayed.

John Ibrahim with girlfriend Sarah Budge and pal Mim Salvato at Kyle Sandilands' baby gender reveal

John Ibrahim with girlfriend Sarah Budge and pal Mim Salvato at Kyle Sandilands’ baby gender reveal  

A source close to the series claims the former nightclub owner has made a number of significant changes to the script and is particular about projecting a ‘positive’ image.

Despite being linked to a number of major organised crime figures, Ibrahim has never been convicted of any criminal activity in what has been a colourful career in Sydney. 

Sam Ibrahim is currently fighting deportation back to Lebanon as part of his time served for running guns

Sam Ibrahim is currently fighting deportation back to Lebanon as part of his time served for running guns

Eldest brother Sam is currently in detention fighting deportation to Lebanon after he was jailed for running guns in Sydney. 

His long-time partner Sarah Budge famously beat a high-profile gun charge in 2019. 

 

 

 

 

 

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