It has been 13 years since Underbelly: The Golden Mile premiered on free-to-air television exploring the hotbed of Kings Cross and profiling Sydney nightclub owner and businessman John Ibrahim.
From today, Last King of the Cross is available to stream on Paramount+. The fictionalised series inspired by John Ibrahim's 2017 memoir of the same name stars Lincoln Younes as Ibrahim.
Younes told ABC News having the show on a premium streamer means producers could really push the limits of what was shown.
And there are other things that distinguish it from Underbelly.
"Underbelly was great at what it did at the time," Younes said.
"But it was not based on any direct consultation with John nor his memoirs. It used what it could.
"Whereas we have the luxury in a lot of ways of this being inspired by his memoir and having the direct consultation about what the world was like firsthand back then."
Ibrahim acts as an executive producer on the series and Younes also spent quite a bit of time with him in the lead-up to production.
"Because it is fictionalised and inspired by his memoir, it's not a straight biopic, there was a leniency in the creativity where he gave his blessing and I just took what I needed and wanted and ran with it," Younes said.
Last King of the Cross tracks John Ibrahim's formative years from 1978, when he was a young child fleeing war-torn Lebanon, to his arrival in Australia and eventual domination of nightlife in Kings Cross in the 1980s and 90s.
Promoted as a story about two brothers, actor Claude Jabbour transforms into Sam Ibrahim for the series.
"There was much less information about Sam, as it was John's story," Jabbour said.
"And that was kind of freeing in a sense, I didn't really have to worry about trying to mimic him in any way.
"I really went by the character as it was written in the script.
"And I think the writers did a fantastic job in creating a really complex, interesting arc for Sam in that story."
Jabbour is also a comedian, but there is very little funny about the character he plays, at least not in the first two episodes of the show currently available for viewing. But Jabbour draws on the skills of the craft in his approach.
"I always try to bring elements of light and dark to all the characters that I've played. And Sam is a good vehicle for that," he said.
Jabbour said there were parts of the story he found relatable.
"The focus for me and the interesting aspects of the character were the things that I think that we can all relate to, universally, which is the relationship with the brother, the relationship with the family, his responsibility as the eldest son in a Lebanese family," he said.
"I mean, I'm the eldest son in a Lebanese family. I understand some of that dynamic.
"So, what's interesting is how this clearly unique, incredible story has elements that we can all kind of connect to and relate to."
Younes said the series does not shy away from the grittiness of the times.
"It's not revisionist history," he said.
"It kind of shows all sides, especially the ugly side of where things were back then, also the duality of how having rules that are kind of flexible in terms of morality and ethics and what we know is the law back then, is a fun voyeurism for audiences to enjoy without the consequence of having to live it.
"So, there is a bit of escapism with it."
Of the opportunity to play John Ibrahim in the series, Younes said it was exciting to be involved in an ambitious local production.
"I think we have some of the best creatives behind and in front of the camera right here in this country," he said.
"And I think the opportunities are the only things that are lacking in terms of us getting to do our thing, and that's why so many actors go overseas to find work, not because they necessarily want to or they think it's better, or anything like that.
"It's just that you need to work to survive, you want to create art. That's why you do what you do.
"And acting as an industry, or the entertainment industry in general, is brutal.
"And if it's possible to see a show like this with the budget that it managed to have with the sheer scale that it has achieved and the stories that it's tapping in to, if you see it work here, it just opens the door for more of that happening here.
"And that's really exciting, because all of a sudden you're not hamstrung by opportunity, there's actually possibility."
Last King of the Cross reportedly had a $50 million budget.
Jabbour agreed it is important to get the opportunity to take risks, make mistakes and grow.
"When our industry at times has been on life support, you are going to get less risky choices, less ambitious productions, and so that's why I think it's really important to see something delivered at this scale that can give many of our creatives and artists the right opportunities to really show themselves that they do often get overseas and not here," he said.
"So obviously, having the right funding and the right support is incredibly important in helping us achieve that."
The ABC requested an interview with John Ibrahim but was told he was unavailable.
Last King of the Cross is available to stream on Paramount+
