From destitute immigrant to towering nightclub magnate, Last King of The Cross sees an infamous Australian story brought to the neon-lit screen.
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The show chronicles the rise of club owner John Ibrahim in Kings Cross, in a fictionalised drama inspired by Ibrahim's own bestselling memoir.
Gangs, outlaws, and police clash amidst a cocaine wave sweeping Sydney, and Ibrahim (played by Lincoln Younes) must fight and sacrifice to get to the top.
Wentworth Falls resident and Underbelly writer Peter Gawler worked as a script producer on the show and said Ibrahim worked closely with the show's writers right from the start.
"John was involved from the outset. From the early days of brainstorming through plotting and drafting of episodes he had input... the thing about John, he's a natural raconteur. He instinctively knows how to tell a good story," said Gawler.
"In fact he and I spent a lot of time debating amendments to scenes. His number would come up on my phone, I'd hear that wicked chuckle... 'Hey Pete - I got another idea...'."
The pair continued to share ideas and input over the course of production, resulting in a new friendship by the time shooting wrapped up.
"John is a charismatic guy who's impossible not to like. He's funny and smart and honest in his opinions. We had a lot to do with each other, and it's true we had the odd argument, but I'm proud to say we finished as friends."
Production on the show was affected by COVID and scheduling issues; Gawler said some days saw the crew shooting scenes from several different episodes across the entire series, placing strain on multiple departments.
Despite this, he felt the series was ultimately a rewarding project to work on.
"Look, it was hard. We were under the pump for a whole host of reasons. The schedule changed daily because of all sorts of factors beyond our control," he told the Gazette.
"But I have to say it was one of the most good-humoured, professional shoots I've ever been involved in, and at the end of one very long day I realised I was actually having fun!"
Production on Last King of The Cross included a strip set built to replicate Kings Cross. It took 14 weeks to build, paint and dress, with more than 60 people working on it.
Last King of The Cross releases on streaming service Paramount+ on Friday, February 17. For more information or to sign up visit the website at https://www.paramountplus.com/au/.
