Ghosts of Beirut: Hunt for Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh turned into spy thriller

New series will trace his beginnings and how he become one of the world's most wanted terrorists

Saudi actress Dina Shihabi stars as Lena in Ghosts of Beirut. Photo: Showtime

A four-part limited series based on the real-life story of the hunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the founding member of Lebanon's Islamic Jihad Organisation and senior Hezbollah commander, is on the way.

Showtime's Ghosts of Beirut, set to air on May 19, will trace the origin story of Mughniyeh and how, at 21 years old, he emerged out of obscurity from the Shiite slums of south Beirut to become one of the world’s most wanted terrorists.

Mughniyeh is the mastermind behind many suicide bombings, murders, kidnappings and assassinations, beginning with the Beirut barracks bombing in 1983.

The show will also focus on the American, Israeli and Lebanese authorities' two-decades-long attempt to hunt Mughniyeh down. He was often described as "The Ghost" or the “untraceable ghost” for evading capture for so long.

Ghosts of Beirut features an international cast, led by Saudi actress Dina Shihabi, who starred in the political thriller Jack Ryan, the Netflix show Altered Carbon and the supernatural horror series Archive 81.

The series also stars Dermot Mulroney known for his role in My Best Friend’s Wedding and a number of thrillers including Hanna. Other cast members include Garret Dillahunt, Iddo Goldberg, Hisham Suleiman, Amir Khoury and Rafi Gavron.

Ghosts of Beirut has been conceived and developed by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, the creators of Netflix drama Fauda, with Joelle Touma. She was one of the writers of Lebanon’s first Oscar-nominated film, The Insult, and will also serve as co-executive producer.

The series will span decades and weave together first-hand research with interviews of prominent officials, connecting real-life events, such as the turmoil of 1980s Beirut, and spy activity in contemporary Middle East.