Starzplay premieres first Arabic original series ‘Kaboos’

Streaming platform Starzplay and production company Image Nation Abu Dhabi hosted an exclusive screening of the first two episodes of the platform’s Arabic series “Kaboos” in Dubai. (Supplied)

• Five-episode series gives modern take on local mythology
• Members of the cast and crew and others involved in the production were at the event

DUBAI: Streaming platform Starzplay and production company Image Nation Abu Dhabi hosted an exclusive screening of the first two episodes of the platform’s Arabic series “Kaboos” in Dubai, ahead of the show’s streaming debut on Feb. 9.
Members of the cast and crew and others involved in the production were at the event, including Rakeen Saad, Passant Shawky, Kady Al-Qaisy, Abdullah Al-Muhairi, Mansoor Alfeeli, Mohammed Al-Alawi, Hana Kazim, Majid Al-Ansari and Yasir Al-Yasiri.
In addition to the screening, guests had a chance to participate in a live Q&A session with the cast and crew.
The development of the show has been a “labor of love” for Starzplay and reflects its commitment to bringing “high-quality shows to the local audience,” said Maaz Sheikh, the platform’s CEO.
The show “sets new industry standards with excellent production values and brings an authentic Arab voice to the horror genre,” and shows that Starzplay “can deliver world-class homegrown content,” he added.
Filmed across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and the UAE, the five-episode series takes viewers on a journey through urban legends of the region, with spine-chilling modern takes on stories inspired by local mythology.
In the first episode of the series, “Al Ghoul,” a remote Bedouin tribe in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s is being stalked by a pack of wild hyenas that is devastating livestock and is suspected to be killing humans. When a child of the tribe is snatched in the night, a chain of horrifying events unfolds in the desert.
“Werewolf (Al Salawa),” the second episode, is set in 1920s Egypt in the Valley of the Kings, amidst excavations of ancient Egyptian tombs. These excavations coincide with tales of rabid werewolf-like beasts claiming victims up and down the Nile. The clash between ancient practices and modern ideas polarizes the population in the remote valley.
“The launch of the series is significant in that it will enable us to present a new perspective of the Arabic horror genre that resonates with regional consumers,” said Ben Ross, chief content officer of Image Nation.
The horror anthology series is produced by Al-Yasiri’s and Alfeeli’s production company, Starship Entertainment.