Netflix orders its first Arabic series, Jinn. Jinn is an original young adult supernatural drama which comes from Lebanese director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya and Jordanian screenwriter Bassel Ghandour. Bow Chaaya is behind the acclaimed 2015 comedy Very Big Shot, and Ghandour co-wrote the Oscar-nominated film Theeb. The show will be executive produced by Elan and Rajeev Dassani (Seam). They were visual effects specialists from multiple shows like: Scandal and Justified.
Jinn will feature Middle Eastern talent and is expected to be shot in Jordan later this year. It is a contemporary teen drama centered around a group of friends whose lives are disrupted when a supernatural being that is known as a Jinn. The Jinn (which is also referred to at times as a genie) appears to them in the form of a teenage boy in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. Both their friendships and young romances are put to the test when they go to stop an even greater darkness which is threatening to destroy the world.
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 also said, “We are really excited about this. It is very common in 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.”
Netflix’s VP in international original series, Erik Barmack, said, “We’re delighted to be working with such a variety of breakout talent to launch our first Arabic original series in the Middle East. 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.”
The series is a six-episode drama. Jinn is expected to launch on Netflix worldwide in 2019.