Showtime Announces Spy Drama ‘Ghosts Of Beirut’

Showtime has announced a four-part drama called Ghosts of Beirut, which will follow the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the elusive Lebanese terrorist who outwitted his adversaries in the CIA and Mossad for over two decades.

The logline: Ghosts of Beirut reveals the origins of 21-year old Mughniyeh (also known as “The Ghost”) who emerged from obscurity and was responsible for more American deaths than any other individual prior to 9/11. Told from the American, Israeli and Lebanese perspectives, the series traces Mughniyeh’s origins from the Shiite slums of South Beirut to his masterminding of the concept of suicide bombers, a deadly tactic that led to his swift rise as the world’s most dangerous terrorist. Based on extensive research of still-classified events, the drama spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with prominent officials from the CIA and Mossad, connecting the turmoil of 1980s Beirut with the spy games of the modern Middle East.

The limited series will debut on streaming and on demand on Friday, May 19 for all Showtime subscribers, and on the Showtime linear platform on Sunday, May 21 at 10 p.m. ET. It features Dina Shihabi (Jack Ryan, Archive 81), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave), Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer), Hisham Suleiman (Munich, Fauda), Amir Khoury (Image of Victory) and Rafi Gavron (A Star is Born).

Ghosts of Beirut comes from Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, and is also executive produced by Greg Barker (Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden), who directs all four episodes, and Daniel Dreifuss (All Quiet on the Western Front).

Additionally, Lebanese screenwriter Joëlle Touma (The Insult) was a writer and co-executive producer, along with co-executive producers Padriac McKinley (The Good Lord Bird) and Diane Becker (Navalny).