Muvi Studios Has 10 Arabic Movies for Theatrical Release 2024
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Hashim Sheikh
- . December 23, 2023
- . Update: December 23, 2023 11:51 am
Saudi Arabia’s very own Muvi Studios has 10 titles in the pipeline for release 2024, with comedy Esabet Azeema set to grace Saudi cinemas on January 4.
Fouad Alkhateeb, Muvi’s head of production, said the 10 movies, five Saudi and five Egyptian, is in different stages of production and will have their theatrical release in the next 12 months. He said the output goal for Muvi Studios is to be somewhere between 20 to 24 films in 2025, with the same 50/50 ratio between Saudi and Egyptian titles.
Muvi Cinemas have 205 screens across 21 locations and 10 different cities across Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Cinema: Local Arabic Content
Adon Quinn, CEO of Muvi, said the growth of the box office in Saudi is going to be driven by local content. He highlighted that 34 percent of Saudi grosses so far this year have come from Arabic content, mainly Egypt and Saudi, even though films from the region only account for 13 percent of releases.
Cinema Industry is relatively new in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom lifted its 35-year ban on cinema just five years ago. Quinn said Arabic language films is the most popular among the moviegoers and this prompted Muvi Cinemas, Saudi Arabia’s indigenous cinema brand and the kingdom’s largest theatre operator, to launch Muvi Studios.
The CEO said their audiences are able to watch these movies in their language, relate to the characters and identify with the film’s subject matter. “We have been inspired to develop Saudi and Egyptian film content for the big screen. The investment in Muvi Studios will be used to produce a slate of top-quality Arabic movies, and we aim to release a minimum of three films within the next 12 months.”
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Muvi Studios Touts Saudi Film Industry
Quinn believes the Saudi film industry will be very strong in the coming years. “With the ongoing support from the Saudi government and increased investment in infrastructure, we expect to see a strong local film industry in the coming years.
Faisal Baltyuor, Saudi film veteran and chief executive of Muvi Studios, said the growth of Muvi Studios in Saudi Arabia has been extraordinary. “It has captured the imagination of the nation with 46 percent box office market share tapping into the pent-up demand for a globally inspired theatre experience complemented by local execution.”
Quinn added that the rise of Saudi Arabia as a major box office player on the global stage has been swift and this growth will continue.
