Variety reports out of EFM that Lebanese producer Georges Schouair’s Abbout Prods. is set to shoot “Ghoul,” touted as the first zombie TV series out of the Arab world.
The eight-episodes focus on eight strangers from different corners of the Middle East who face the outbreak of a zombie plague, but what will make it compelling is its political relevance.
The concept of the Arabic-language series is based on a mutating zombie virus that has different effects in different countries. “It’s a way of talking about political issues in these countries,” Schouair said.
The series’ promotional materials underscore that “genre films have always been political, and especially the ones with zombies,” correctly noting that George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead series “has given us an insight into American society.”
Yes, these filmmakers allegedly get it.
“Ghoul” will be directed by young Lebanese helmer Rami Kodeih, who has several prizewinning shorts and also the feature-length docu “Wheels of War” under his belt. Antoine Waked will write.
It has been developed by Abbout in tandem with the Beirut-based Cinemoz VOD platform, one of the fastest-growing VOD platforms in the Arab world. The plan is for “Ghoul” to be one of its signature original shows.
