Netflix has announced that it will be producing its third Arabic original series and its first venture into Egyptian drama with Paranormal (Ma Waraa Al-Tabeea), to be directed by Amr Salama and produced by Mohamed Hefzy.
The series is based on the best-selling books by late novelist Ahmed Khaled Tawfik.
The horror stories are set in the 1960s in Egypt -- where the show will be filmed -- and follow the character of Dr. Refaat Ismail as he encounters various supernatural events, mostly inspired by Egyptian folk tales and mythology.
The high-profile duo Salama and Hefzy last collaborated in the 2017 on the award-winning movie Sheikh Jackson.
"It was my dream to adapt Paranormal by the late author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik and turn it into a drama ever since I wanted to be a filmmaker," Salama said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
The director added that he wants to present the books in a new light, while still keeping their essence.
Paranormal is the third Middle Eastern Netflix original series following two series from Jordan; Jinn , and Al Rawabi School for Girls, which was produced with a fully female Arab cast and crew.
Netflix s first Middle Eastern project was the Arabic stand-up comedy Adel Karam: Live From Beirut, while its first Middle East acquisition was in 2016 with the Emirati feature Zinzana.
