MBC Studios, the production arm of the Middle East and Northern Africa media and entertainment giant MBC Group, has unveiled plans to adapt the novel Jahim Al-Abirin (Travelers’ Hell) by Saudi bestseller author Osamah Almuslim into a feature film as part of a broader agreement to bring his popular works to the big and small screens.
Set to be directed by the Saudi filmmaker Hana Al-Omair, the project is slated to begin production in the first half of 2025, with filming taking place in Saudi Arabia. Almuslim himself will adapt the screenplay based on his novel about a highway where travelers mysteriously disappear.
The news was unveiled Wednesday local time during the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The adaptation is part of a broader partnership between MBC Studios and Almuslim to adapt his novels for TV and film. “In recent years, the Al-Ahsa-born writer has emerged as one of Saudi Arabia’s most distinguished authors, carving out a unique literary style and earning acclaim for his work in the horror, fantasy, and suspense genres,” MBC said. “His novels have received wide praise and enjoy a strong following among readers throughout the country and across the Arab world, resulting in record-breaking attendance at the literary events he participates in.”
Almuslim said the deal will lead to “a series of projects exploring the extensive world I have built over the past decade.”
Al-Omair joined MBC Studios earlier this year as creative director. “I have always loved producing cinematic works adapted from other sources – projects that allow me to engage in a creative dialogue through my directing,” she said. “As such, I am absolutely delighted to collaborate with Osamah Almuslim, whose broad popularity across the Arab world presents both an exciting opportunity and a challenge.”
She added: “His unique style of storytelling interweaves suspense, mystery, horror, mythical elements, and local traditions. Through this exciting new endeavor, I hope to experiment with these narrative forms and open new horizons in the Saudi cinematic landscape.”
MBC GROUP is the largest and leading media organisation in the Middle East and North Africa.
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