MBC Studios is actively preparing for the 2026 premiere of Hana Alomair’s thriller, Traveller’s Hell, which follows a young woman’s harrowing experience after she offers a ride to a man who turns out to be a serial killer, stranded on a secluded mountain pass.
Initially unveiled in 2024, the film is notable for MBC Studios as it not only focuses on a female-led narrative but also marks the first full-length feature directed by the trailblazing Saudi filmmaker Alomair.
Alomair made her mark previously by co-writing and directing Whispers, which was among the first original series from Netflix in collaboration with Saudi Arabia following the country’s cultural liberalization in 2017.
Traveller’s Hell is part of a series of projects based on the works of bestselling author Osamah Almuslim currently being developed by MBC Studios. This was highlighted in a press release during their participation at the Cannes Film Festival.
The studio had faced challenges at the box office both locally and internationally with its $150 million production Desert Warrior, which was one of their initial projects following the end of Saudi Arabia’s cinema ban in 2017. Despite the film’s underperformance, MBC executives expressed that the project had provided crucial insights and experiences necessary for Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning film production capabilities.
Additionally, MBC Studios is preparing for the production of Spider’s Web, another adaptation of Almuslim’s horror novel, scheduled to begin filming in the latter part of the year. The story centers around a group of Saudi female students in Riyadh who become suspicious of their enigmatic neighbor, leading them to discover a dark and frightening secret.
Furthermore, production is set to commence on a third adaptation by Almuslim, a fantasy TV series titled Khawf (Fear), first announced in 2023. The series is based on Almuslim’s popular novel and follows a young man who receives a cryptic book from an enigmatic sheikh, which unleashes a sequence of horrifying events as he starts to read.
MBC Studios’ upcoming projects also include an action-comedy, Mafiosos, about two Saudi brothers who find themselves mixed up with the Italian mafia during a business trip to Italy. The screenplay is penned by Saudi writers Nawaf Al-Muhanna and Hazem Al-Jaryan.
Other projects in the pipeline include Forever, a romantic drama penned by Saudi actress and writer Sarah Taibah, known for her recent roles as actor, producer, and co-writer in A Matter Of Life & Death.
Additionally, the studio hinted at an upcoming collaboration with production company Telfaz11 for a new joint feature set to launch by year’s end.
Samar Akrouk, Managing Director of MBC Studios and Group Director of Production at MBC Group, emphasized the studio’s commitment to nurturing local talent and producing works that showcase the rich diversity and ambitious storytelling of Saudi Arabia.
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