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ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Image Nation Abu Dhabi is bringing its latest international production to the region’s screens, as “HOKUM” opens in cinemas across the UAE and wider MENA region on May 7.
The supernatural horror will be released regionally by Front Row Filmed Entertainment, following its global theatrical rollout earlier this month.
Produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the studio behind “Al Kameen” and “Hoba”, in partnership with Spooky Pictures and Cweature Features, “HOKUM” is the latest chapter in a growing slate of internationally recognised genre films, reinforcing the studio’s position as a global player.
Directed by Damian McCarthy, the film premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival to critical acclaim, earning a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
McCarthy, known for “Oddity” (winner of the SXSW Audience Award) and “Caveat”, continues his signature approach to psychological tension with his most ambitious project to date.
Starring Emmy-nominated actor Adam Scott (“Severance”, “Parks and Recreation”, “Big Little Lies”), alongside Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Michael Patric, Will O’Connell, Brendan Conroy, and Austin Amelio, the film follows an American novelist who retreats to a remote coastal hotel, only to find himself drawn into a chilling mystery surrounding a sealed room and a dark, inescapable force.
While “HOKUM” unfolds against an international backdrop, key scenes were filmed on location in the Remah Desert in Al Ain, with production supported by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, part of the Creative Media Authority, showcasing the emirate’s growing role as a destination for global filmmaking.
The film is produced by Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy, Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde and Mairtín de Barra, with executive producers including Ben Ross, CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Rami Yasin, Dan Kagan, Andrew Childs, Tom Quinn, Ryan Friscia, Jeff Deutchman, Eva O’Brien and Bryan Meng and Dr Terence Chan for Team Thrives.
Co-production funding was supported by Screen Ireland, with Tailored Films also on board.
