Abu Dhabi and Beirut –O3 Productions, the production arm of MBC Group, the largest private media company in the Middle East & North Africa region, and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, one of the leading media and entertainment companies in the Middle East, announced a new strategic partnership for film and television production.
The first project, under this new partnership, is the adaptation of author Ibraheem Abbas’ best-selling novel sci-fi HWJN into an Arabic-language feature film, to be co-produced and co-financed by both companies. 03 and Image Nation are also partnering on a television spin-off of the feature entitled The Delusionists, as well as two further television series, details of which will be announced in due course.
The novel HWJN is a pop culture phenomenon in Saudi Arabia and across the Arab World, having topped bestseller lists across the Gulf by selling over 140,000 legal copies. There has also been over one million illegal downloads, further demonstrating that the book has captured the imagination of the Arab youth across the region.
HWJN is a groundbreaking novel in its depiction of the human world through Jinn eyes, while offering a completely fresh, provocative portrayal of life in the region. Ibraheem Abbas, author of HWJN, said, “Four years ago our first novel HWJN was rejected by publishing houses because fantasy and science fiction were alien to Arab audiences. We created our own publishing house and exceeded expectations. The Arab public, especially young people, were eager for fantasy and science fiction and our four novels topped the bestseller lists in the region.
The TV spin-off series The Delusionists will also have a unique take on modern Saudi and Arab society. It continues the story of the friendly Jinn HWJN as he teams up with the character of Eyad. The pair track down and expose the charlatans and fake peddlers of black magic and sorcery in modern day Saudi Arabia which has reached epidemic levels. We also follow the adventures of the alluring female Jinn Jumara as she deepens her relationship with the human world. There will also be plenty of other surprises in store for HWJN fans.
