Why upcoming UAE-made blockbuster The Misfits is a massive deal

This is the very first Emirati-Hollywood production…

We’re not sure if you’re aware, but Abu Dhabi is a pretty big deal in the film industry. It’s established itself as a shoot location of note for both Hollywood and Bollywood, most recently hosting the cast of the upcoming seventh installment of the Mission Impossible franchise.

The emirate’s role in cinema hasn’t been restricted to a passive backdrop of wallflower either. The number and production value of UAE-made films, has steadily been increasing over the past four decades, and some of its finest examples have won international attention.

Emirati filmmaker Sheikha Alyazia bint Nahyan’s short film about the pre-Islamic poet Tarafa, entitled ‘Athel’ released last year, for example, was selected for five international film competitions, winning commendations at the Berlin Flash Film Festival and the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.

But a UAE-produced-and-shot Hollywood movie has always been the bigger picture. And it’s coming into sharp focus with the release of The Misfits, this summer.

The Misfits stars Academy-Award nominee Tim Roth and ex-007 lethal-licensee, Pierce Brosnan and is the story of a gentleman thief (shades of previous Brosnan project, The Thomas Crown Affair yes, but we’d be down with that even if its a shot-by-shot remake, it’s an underrated classic), preparing for one big heist, that could ultimately save thousands of innocent lives.

You son of a gun we’re in

It’s a film created by FilmGate Productions, an Emirati-owned productions company, in partnership with Paramount Pictures and the US wing of Highland Film Group. It was also filmed entirely in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking about this giant leap for UAE film-kind, Emirati producer, director, and writer Mansoor AlDhaheri (who you may remember from, The Platform) said “When we started FilmGate Productions, our goal was clear: put Abu Dhabi on the global entertainment map and show the world what we’re truly capable of”

“Today, we are proud to say that FilmGate has produced, filmed, and financed a Hollywood movie from start to finish right in the heart of our Capital, and partnered with industry leaders such as Paramount Pictures and Highland Film Group to bring it to audiences everywhere.”

The Misfits also stars Jamie Chung (The Hangover franchise), Hermione Corfield (Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation), Nick Cannon and honestly, we cannot wait to catch it when it’s released during this summer’s prime blockbuster season.

Images: Provided