StarzPlay Partners for first Arabic Series
Maaz SheikhSOURCE: C21MEDIA
BY: INIGO ALEXANDER
StarzPlay, the streaming service from Lionsgate-owned US cablenet Starz, has partnered with Academy Award-winning media company Image Nation Abu Dhabi to create its first original series for StarzPlay Arabia, titled Urban Legends.
Maaz SheikhThe six-part project will be an Arabic-language anthology series based on regional Middle Eastern tales and fables, with each episode telling a different story.
Urban Legends will be produced by local prodco Starship Entertainment, with Yasir AlYasiri leading the production as well as directing one of the episodes. Further regional directors are expected to be announced.
Production is set to begin in 2020, with the series expected to air towards the end of the same year.
Maaz Sheikh, CEO at StarzPlay, said: “This is a real milestone in StarzPlay’s development as we enter into a new realm, producing our own original Arabic content for the first time.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with one of the region’s leading production houses that has gained international acclaim for its quality films, series and documentaries. We hope this is the beginning of a long and productive journey with Image Nation as we enter into the original content space, initially with a focus on Arabic language.”
StarzPlay is available in 20 countries across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, with over 10,000 hours of content on its slate. It has become the leading SVoD player in the MENA region.