Will Zac Efron play The King of the Cross in John Ibrahim’s TV project?

The unlikely sighting of Zac Efron and John Ibrahim breaking bread has prompted rumours the Hollywood superstar might be set to play the King of the Cross in an upcoming TV project.

Most of us wouldn’t normally look at Hollywood star Zac Efron and think “now that guy’s a dead ringer for John Ibrahim”, yet following an unlikely recent sighting of the two men dining at Bondi’s Icebergs, Efron has emerged as a long shot to play the nightclub king in an upcoming TV project based on his life.

A furphy perhaps? It’s possible.

Hollywood superstar Zac Efron.

‘King of the Cross’ John Ibrahim.

Ibrahim dismissed the Icebergs encounter and rumoured casting call when the question was put last week: “Must have been some other handsome Lebanese man,” came the cute reply to our inquiry via a minder.

The sighting of “some other handsome Lebanese man” who resembles Ibrahim with the singing-dancing star of High School Musical, who doesn’t much resemble Ibrahim, has spurred speculation the now-in-development TV series based on Ibrahim’s book Last King of the Cross may, in its final iteration, be a musical – a kind of The Singing Detective meets Sopranos dramedy.

An announcement of a production, we understand, may be imminent following reports last year production giants Netflix, Viacom, Paramount, HBO and Stan were all circling the project with a big payday in the offing for first-time author/producer Ibrahim.

It is a joint venture with former Endemol Shine boss Mark Fennessy — the Fennessy brother currently not in contention to run media company Nine. That brother would be Carl.

NEISHLOS REMAINS A BACHELOR

Fourteen months after orchestrating a profile-raising media event/surprise engagement at Sydney Opera House for his Danish/Israeli fiancee, it turns out Sydney business identity Eitan Neishlos and his stunning model partner Lee Levi are yet to marry.

… and Levi in a wedding dress for a photo shoot. Pictures: Instagram

Eitan Neishlos with his fiance, Danish-Israeli model Lee Levi …

Following last week’s item concerning Neishlos’s recent defamation claim against an ex-girlfriend who he alleged had smeared his good name — the matter has settled — this column is informed Neishlos remains a bachelor.

This, despite Neishlos and Levi posing up for a glorious wedding spread in the first half of 2020 for bridal publication Love Story Magazine.

In the accompanying article Levi states: “Our dream is to be married in Jerusalem and (we) hoped to do so on Eitan’s birthday on the 25th of May as we were engaged on my birthday on 23rd of December (2019). We are patiently waiting for a better and safer world …”

Levi with personal trainer Sam Karam. Picture: Instagram

Ten months on, the world may not yet be sufficiently COVID-safe for a wedding abroad, but Sydney is at least safe enough for new Sydneysider Levi to be working out at Double Bay gym Fit Collective with her muscular personal trainer Sam Karam.

Karam posted a shot of him and Levi to his Instagram page in July.

Meanwhile, Neishlos and Levi continue to share an apartment in Double Bay.