BoomGen to Adapt Shahnameh Comics for Transmedia

October 12, 2010 World Screen
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES: BoomGen Studios, a U.S.-based outfit dedicated to entertainment content about the people and cultures of the Greater Middle East, has snapped up the multimedia rights to Hyperworks Entertainment’s comic book series Rostam: Tales from the Shahnameh.

The books, created by The Kings Letters comic book label, are based on the 1,000-year-old epic by Persian poet Ferdowsi that chronicle Persia’s mythology and history. BoomGen will look to build a transmedia universe across multiple platforms for the property, including comic books, digital motion comics, film and video games.
 
BoomGen and The Kings of Letters are also set to release a fourth comic book installment based on The Shahnameh’s hero Rostam. The two will also release an iPhone and BlackBerry teaser mobile comic app based on the property.
 
“BoomGen Studios is thrilled to bring The Shahnameh to the mainstream audience,” said Reza Aslan, co-founder of BoomGen. “It’s a crucial time in history to reframe perceptions of the Greater Middle East, its culture and its people. We believe that by creating a transmedia universe based on The Shahnameh and giving audiences access to the epic tales that sparked such well known works as J.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, we are headed in the right direction.”

Co-founder Mahyad Tousi added, “We are honored to be able to give a voice to this ancient culture and the many stories that are virtually unknown to most people outside of the region, despite the tremendous impact the Greater Middle East has had on Western literature and culture. Ancient Iran, or Persia, is a goldmine of tales with incredible universal appeal and relevance. And now, finally, transmedia storytelling has created a way for us to bring these epic stories to audiences across the globe.”

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