A new epic fantasy series created by the makers of The Vikings, reimagining The Thousand and One Arabian Nights, will be filmed in Bahrain next year.
In a post on his Instagram account, His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa announced that ‘Arabian Nights’ would be shot in Bahrain, with production support from the kingdom.
The 10-episode series is being executive produced by Kamran Pasha and Steven DeKnight alongside Alan Gasmer and Clive Standen who worked on the Vikings series.
“The secret’s out… Arabian Nights,” Mr Standen, who played Rollo on The Vikings, said in a post on his Instagram account.
“Shahrazad. Sinbad. Aladdin. Ali Baba. Together in one epic fantasy adventure. Our planned 10-episode series reimagines the world of One Thousand and One Nights as an interconnected saga, with Shahrazad joining these legendary characters to confront a sorcerer and the otherworldly forces of the Jinn.
“I’m incredibly proud to be executive producing alongside Kamran Pasha, Steven S DeKnight, Peter Jaysen, Alan Gasmer and Aaron Shershow, with Veritas Entertainment bringing this extraordinary world to life.
“With filming planned for Bahrain in 2027, we aim to create a series full of adventure, danger, wonder, and humanity, honouring the stories’ cultural roots while taking them somewhere audiences haven’t been before.”
Mr Standen is a regular visitor to Bahrain, having highlighted the kingdom’s history and maritime heritage as part of the ‘Arabia’s Best Kept Secrets’ documentary series earlier this year.
He also appeared as a guest at Bahrain Comic Con in 2022, the Royal Rumble IV Charity Boxing Night last year and has documented his visits to Shaikh Nasser’s Victorious XIII stables.
‘Arabian Nights’ is set to be filmed in September 2027, according to a report published by US-based magazine Variety.
The series is being created by Veritas Entertainment, the US-based production company behind A Complete Unknown. Mr Pasha, who previously worked on Sleeper Cell and Kings is working with Spartacus creator Mr DeKnight on the pilot script and series overview.
While the initial 10-episode run is confirmed, Veritas is hoping to expand it into a saga, spanning multiple seasons.
“Arabian Nights has always been a part of my cultural identity,” Mr Pasha, an American of Pakistani Sindhi origin, noted.
“With this series, we have an opportunity to do something Hollywood has never done before – bring these beloved characters together in one epic story that is culturally authentic while capturing the wonder and imagination of the original tales.”
One Thousand and One Nights or The Thousand and One Nights is a world-renowned collection of Middle Eastern folktales, initially compiled in Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. It has been translated into most major languages around the world, and in English, is popularly known as ‘Arabian Nights’.
The anthology is structured as a nested story, in which Scheherazade, seeking to escape execution by a bitter king who marries and kills a new bride each day, tells her husband an enchanting story each night, leaving the ending on a cliffhanger so that he delays her death to hear the conclusion.
Since it was originally written, Arabian Nights has evolved over centuries with contributions from Arabic, Persian, Indian, and Mesopotamian folklore, including ‘Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp’, ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ and ‘Sindbad the Sailor’.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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