
Saudi thriller film ‘Seven Dogs' releases first look images
A late 2025 theatrical release is planned for the film, which is produced by Sela, the company owned by Saudi's Public Investment Fund.
The first images from Seven Dogs, the Saudi-shot action thriller from directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, have been revealed as production continues outside Riyadh. With a budget of $40m, the film is being hailed as a major milestone for Saudi Arabia's rapidly growing film industry.
Egyptian cinema icons Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz take on the lead roles in this high-stakes thriller.
Filming is currently taking place at Alhisn Big Time Studios in Riyadh, reportedly one of the largest production facilities in the MENA region, with additional scenes being shot at Riyadh Boulevard. The city will double as multiple international locations, including Mumbai and Shanghai.
The project is backed by Jeddah-based entertainment company Sela, with The Gentlemen and Wrath of Man producer Ivan Atkinson leading production. The original story comes from Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, a key figure in the country's entertainment and sports expansion.
Seven Dogs follows Interpol officer Khalid Al-Azzazi (Ezz) as he captures Ghali Abu Dawood (Aziz), a high-ranking member of the shadowy global crime syndicate known as 7 Dogs. A year after his arrest, the organisation resurfaces, distributing a powerful new drug called Pink Lady across the Middle East. With time running out, Khalid must form an uneasy alliance with Ghali, the only person with inside knowledge of the syndicate's operations. Their reluctant partnership sets them on a thrilling mission spanning multiple international cities as they attempt to dismantle the criminal empire and prevent the deadly drug from spreading.
The screenplay is written by Mohamed El Dabbah. Seven Dogs is slated for a late 2025 release.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Broadcast Pro
4 hours ago
- Broadcast Pro
BeIN Media Group acquires MENA rights to Omens Studios animated series
These preschool-targeted series, originally commissioned by Singapore's national broadcaster Mediacorp, aim to blend entertainment with education. BeIN Media Group has secured the media rights across the Middle East and North Africa for several hit children's animated series from Singapore-based Omens Studios. The deal includes Season 3 of Leo the Wildlife Ranger (80 x 7'), Season 2 of Paula & Pals (65 x 7'), and Seasons 5 (20 x 11'), 6 (40 x 11'), and 7 (40 x 11') of Counting with Paula. These titles will be featured across beIN's children's TV channels and its OTT platforms, strengthening its family content offering in the region. The acquisition is part of a broader wave of international sales for Omens Studios' preschool content. AMC Networks has picked up Seasons 2 and 3 of Leo the Wildlife Ranger for its preschool channel Jim Jam, while Brazilian broadcaster Globo has acquired Season 3 and renewed the first two seasons. Chi Sim Tang, CEO of Omens Studios, said: 'We're delighted to welcome our new premium broadcast partners on board, and excited that Leo the Wildlife Ranger, Counting with Paula and Paula & Pals are all finding and connecting with new global audiences, over broadcast and a range of different ways.' The studio continues to grow its digital footprint, with billions of views on Leo the Wildlife Ranger's YouTube channels, strong engagement on its mobile game, and the recent launch of a Roblox experience titled Leo the Wildlife Ranger Simulator. Originally commissioned by Singapore's national broadcaster Mediacorp, Leo the Wildlife Ranger is now available in over 50 territories and has received several accolades, including Best Children's Programme at the 2024 Asian Television Awards and a Silver Telly Award. Targeted at children aged 3 to 7, the series combines entertaining adventures with lessons in zoology, environmental awareness, and teamwork. Paula & Pals, a spin-off of 123 Number Squad!, focuses on social-emotional learning for 3 to 6-year-olds, while Counting with Paula—now spanning seven seasons—teaches numbers in fun and engaging ways to young learners.


Gulf Today
21 hours ago
- Gulf Today
F1 movie star Pitt finally gets to drive a Formula One car
Brad Pitt, whose new F1 movie is out next week, has now driven a Formula One car for real after testing a McLaren at Austin's Circuit of the Americas. The reigning world champions confirmed the Hollywood A lister drove a 2023 McLaren MCL60 car at the Texas track on Thursday. Media reports said the British-based team had been carrying out a private test with F1 regular Lando Norris and F2 driver Alex Dunne. It was the first time 61-year-old Pitt, who plays the fictional racing driver Sonny Hayes in the Apple Originals movie, had driven a real Formula One car on track. The cars used in the making of the film were Formula Two cars, modified by Mercedes to look like real grand prix racers. Champions McLaren had teased the drive on Thursday with a social media post of overalls with the initials BP and the caption "It's a Sonny day in Austin". Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, a co-producer of the movie, said in March that Pitt had shown real speed while testing the F2 cars. "Watching Brad drive around at speeds over 180 miles an hour was really impressive to see because it's not something you can just learn overnight," he said. "The dedication and the focus that Brad put into this process has been amazing to witness." Reuters


Sharjah 24
2 days ago
- Sharjah 24
Labubu dolls ride China soft-power wave
Beijing-based Pop Mart is part of a rising tide of Chinese cultural exports gaining traction abroad, furry ambassadors of a "cool" China even in places associated more with negative public opinion of Beijing such as Europe and North America. Labubus, which typically sell for around $40, are released in limited quantities and sold in "blind boxes", meaning buyers don't know the exact model they will receive. The dolls are "a bit quirky and ugly and very inclusive, so people can relate", interior designer Lucy Shitova told AFP at a Pop Mart store in London, where in-person sales of Labubus have been suspended over fears that fans could turn violent in their quest for the toys. "Now everything goes viral... because of social media. And yes, it's cool. It's different." While neighbouring East Asian countries South Korea and Japan are globally recognised for their high-end fashion, cinema and pop songs, China's heavily censored film and music industry have struggled to attract international audiences, and the country's best-known clothing exporter is fast-fashion website Shein. There have been few success stories of Chinese companies selling upmarket goods under their own brands, faced with stereotypes of cheap and low-quality products. "It has been hard for the world's consumers to perceive China as a brand-creating nation," the University of Maryland's Fan Yang told AFP. Pop Mart has bucked the trend, spawning copycats dubbed by social media users as "lafufus" and detailed YouTube videos on how to verify a doll's authenticity. Brands such as designer womenswear label Shushu/Tong, Shanghai-based Marchen and Beijing-based handbag maker Songmont have also gained recognition abroad over the past few years. "It might just be a matter of time before even more Chinese brands become globally recognisable," Yang said. TikTok effect Through viral exports like Labubu, China is "undergoing a soft-power shift where its products and image are increasingly cool among young Westerners," said Allison Malmsten, an analyst at China-based Daxue Consulting. Malmsten said she believed social media could boost China's global image "similar to that of Japan in the 80s to 2010s with Pokemon and Nintendo". Video app TikTok -- designed by China's ByteDance -- paved the way for Labubu's ascent when it became the first Chinese-branded product to be indispensable for young people internationally. Joshua Kurlantzick from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP that "TikTok probably played a role in changing consumers' minds about China". TikTok, which is officially blocked within China but still accessible with VPN software, has over one billion users, including what the company says is nearly half of the US population. The app has become a focus of national security fears in the United States, with a proposed ban seeing American TikTok users flock to another Chinese app, Rednote, where they were welcomed as digital "refugees". A conduit for Chinese social media memes and fashion trends, TikTok hosts over 1.7 million videos about Labubu. Labubumania Cultural exports can "improve the image of China as a place that has companies that can produce globally attractive goods or services", CFR's Kurlantzick told AFP. "I don't know how much, if at all, this impacts images of China's state or government," he said, pointing to how South Korea's undeniable soft power has not translated into similar levels of political might. While plush toys alone might not translate into actual power, the United States' chaotic global image under the Trump presidency could benefit perceptions of China, the University of Maryland's Yang said. "The connection many make between the seeming decline of US soft power and the potential rise in China's global image may reflect how deeply intertwined the two countries are in the minds of people whose lives are impacted by both simultaneously," she told AFP. At the very least, Labubu's charms appear to be promoting interest in China among the younger generation. "It's like a virus. Everyone just wants it," Kazakhstani mother-of-three Anelya Batalova told AFP at Pop Mart's theme park in Beijing. Qatari Maryam Hammadi, 11, posed for photos in front of a giant Labubu statue. "In our country, they love Labubu," she said. "So, when they realise that the origin of Labubu is in China, they'd like to come to see the different types of Labubu in China."