DUBAI: IMAX announced plans for its first Arabic-language feature film at the opening of a new cinema — in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Muvi Cinemas — in Jeddah this week.
The new screen marks the first of four new IMAX screens the company will open across the Kingdom as part of its agreement with Muvi Cinemas.
IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond told Arab News in a recent interview that the long-term plan in Saudi Arabia was to “not only build a significant theater network, but also lean into the content side.”
The company has been involved in projects in other Middle Eastern countries, such as the 2009 film “Journey to Mecca” and the 1992 film “Fires of Kuwait,” so “this (Saudi Arabia) wasn’t a startup opportunity,” he added.
The newly announced film is a comedy titled “Ambulance” starring Saudi actor and comedian Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj, who is known for the mini series “Rashash” and movies like “AlKhallat+” and “Sattar.”
Directed by British filmmaker Colin Teague and produced by Al-Hajjaj’s House of Comedy, Saudi producer Talal Anazi’s Black Light Operations, and Muvi Studios, the film will be released on April 17, 2025.
Gelfond said: “As we open our first location with Muvi Cinemas — the biggest exhibitor in Saudi Arabia and a new strategic partner for IMAX — we are excited to expand into Arabic-language content and deliver Arabic-speaking audiences an even greater diversity of experiences.”
Muvi Cinemas will open the next IMAX screen at Mall of Dhahran in February followed by U Walk in Riyadh.
