"Asad" (Lion) — one of the most anticipated Arabic-language films of 2026 — opens in Egypt on May 14 and across the Arab world on May 21.
Directed by Mohamed Diab and starring Mohamed Ramadan, the film tells the story of the Zanj Rebellion — a 14-year uprising of enslaved Africans against the Abbasid Caliphate that took place from 869 to 883 CE in what is now southern Iraq. The Zanj were Africans — from Abyssinia, Sudan, West and Central Africa, and the East African coast — transported and forced to work the region's salt marshes. Their rebellion was the largest revolt of enslaved Africans in the Islamic world. It has never been told on screen before.
Mohamed Ramadan plays Ali ibn Muhammad al-Farsi, the man who led them. The cast includes Razane Jammal, Maged El Kedwany, Kamel El Basha, Ali Qassim, and Islam Mubarak.
Diab is best known internationally for "Cairo 678," "Clash," and Marvel's "Moon Knight." The script was written by him and his siblings, Khaled and Sherine Diab — a project the three developed six years ago and spent years trying to get made. Diab has said no production company would touch it.
The budget runs approximately $7–8 million, among the largest in Egyptian cinema history.
Good Fellas Media Production eventually stepped up, with Big Time Fund and Scoop Egypt co-producing. Empire Entertainment handles regional distribution. Mad Solutions handles international sales.
The poster and teaser are out now.
