‘Rise of the Witches’: production under way on biggest Saudi TV series

Fantasy show is based on the bestselling novel by Osamah Almuslim

'Rise of the Witches' stars Ida AlKusay and Sumaya Rida. Photo: MBC Group

Production has started for adventure-fantasy series Rise of the Witches.

The show is set to be the biggest made in Saudi Arabia, with MBC Group pulling out all the stops to create an immersive adaptation of Saudi author Osamah Almuslim's bestselling novel, Rise of the Witches. It will also have the largest-ever special effects budget for a Saudi production.

It is supported by the team behind Neom, which also has plans to be a major film and TV production hub. Currently, the 10-part series is being filmed on three purpose-built studio sets.

Rise of the Witches is set in ancient Arabia and details the story of an epic war between two rival witch covens named Afsaar and Da’ja’a.

Almuslim, a prolific fantasy and horror novelist, has imagined a vivid world dominated by male magicians who want to prevent women from performing magical arts. Two young witches secretly learn how to wield magic and form their own covens to protect themselves and seek further knowledge.

Tensions rise when the two covens go to war.

'Rise of the Witches' is a 10-episode series. Photo: MBC Group

Rise of the Witches will feature a predominantly Saudi cast, led by actresses Ida AlKusay and Sumaya Rida, alongside actor Aziz Gharbawi.

Saudi YouTuber and actress Joud Alsfyani, known online as Jay Starlit, is also starring in the series and recently posted a short video on Twitter of her last day of filming.

She captioned the tweet: “Today I finished filming my character, Thina, in the biggest Saudi project, which will be available next year. Rise of the Witches is adapted from the novel by Osamah Almuslim.”

The show’s storyline was adapted from a novel by author of The Enemy and Young Bond series Charlie Higson, along with two female Saudi writers.

“Rise of the Witches is a true home-grown production and features recognisable and new faces, with talent both in front of and behind the cameras,” said executive producer Zeinab Abu Alsamh.

“This series will no doubt make household names of the cast — this outstanding fantasy-adventure is not one to be missed.”

Rise of the Witches will be available to stream on Shahid later this year.

Scroll the gallery below to see the international films shot in Saudi Arabia

'Kandahar', starring Gerard Butler, uses AlUla to stand in for the landscapes of Afghanistan. Photo: Thunder Road Pictures

'Kandahar' has a multinational cast and crew of about 200 in the kingdom, about 10 per cent of which are Saudi nationals. Photo: Thunder Road Pictures

Tom Holland in 2021's Russo Brothers-directed 'Cherry', which was partly shot in AlUla. Photo: Apple

'Cello', starring Jeremy Irons and Tobin Bell, is funded by Saudi production company Rozam Media and comes from a novel and script by Saudi author Turki Al Alshikh. Photo: Alamiya

'Journey to Mecca', from 2009, brought the epic desert landscapes of 14th-century Islamic explorer Ibn Battuta to life in Makkah. Photo: SK Films

Director Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic of the influential civil rights activist Malcolm X, played by Denzel Washington, was shot in the kingdom as long ago as 1992. Photo: Warner Bros

'Desert Warrior' is the biggest production to take place in the kingdom to date. 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' director Rupert Wyatt is heading up a crew of about 500 for this big budget historical epic. Pictured is Anthony Mackie, left, and Aiysha Hart. Photo: MBC Studios