Netflix Plans First Arabic Original

Netflix has lined up its first Arabic original series, Jinn, a contemporary supernatural teenage drama.

In the series, a group of teenagers’ lives are disrupted when a Jinn in the form of a teenage boy appears to them in the ancient city of Petra. Their friendships and young romances are tested when they set out to stop an even greater darkness that is threatening to destroy the world.

Jinn will feature Middle Eastern talent and will be filmed in Jordan later this year. It is being executive produced by Elan and Rajeev Dassani (SEAM) and comes Lebanese director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Very Big Shot) and Jordanian screenwriter Bassel Ghandour (Oscar-nominated Theeb). The six-episode series is expected to launch to all Netflix members all around the world in 2019.

Bou Chaaya said: “This is a great opportunity to portray Arab youth in a very unique way. The level of authenticity Netflix is trying to achieve with this show is definitely what attracted me the most to be part of this project.”

Ghandour added: “We are really excited about this. It is very common in the Middle East that people know someone who has a Jinn story, so it’s nice to take that and turn it into a fun and mysterious teen adventure that everyone can enjoy. On a broader note, I love that Netflix is investing a lot in the region, it’s a real turning point. We have such a rich storytelling culture, and we’ll finally be able to enjoy Arabic content with Netflix quality.”

“We’re delighted to be working with such a variety of breakout talent to launch our first Arabic original series in the Middle East,” said Erik Barmack, the VP of international original series at Netflix. “We are extremely excited to bring this story to a global audience and to celebrate Arab youth and culture. We can’t wait to share more details later this year.”