It’s fair to say that the Arab world isn’t exactly known for its horror movies, but perhaps that’s about to change know that they’ve got Tobe Hooper to help them, as the director behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist will helm Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s Arabian horror film, Djinn.
Penned by David Tully (Hepzibah), it’s a new take on the haunted house thriller that uncovers the dark truth behind classic fairytales of the Genie. Djinn tells the nightmarish story of a young Emirati couple who return home from the US and discover that their new apartment in a luxury high-rise built on the site of an abandoned fishing village is also home to the malevolent beings known as Djinn. The movie is scheduled to begin shooting in the UAE March 20th.
Interestingly, it looks like the Arabian backers are genuinely interested in learning the tricks of the commercial-movie trade from Hooper to help with homegrown Arab movies, as Emirati director Nayla Al Khaja, behind the short films Once, Arabana, and Malal, will work as a cultural consultant on Djinn. Khaja will shadow Hooper on the set and train with him in preparation to helm her first feature length horror film.
Tobe Hooper said: “The horror genre speaks an international language and I am so pleased to be involved in a project with Imagenation Abu Dhabi that will transcend cultures and borders. Simply put, this movie will scare everyone, no matter where you live or what you believe in!”
It’s an interesting move, and a smart one, as with Arabian film getting increasingly interested in being a player on the world stage, bringing in well-known directors shouldn’t just help increase the profile of individual movies, but should also help to bring new skills to the crew. Hopefully that can then feed into other movies that have less of a US component.