'The Misfits': How the delayed release of the UAE-shot Pierce Brosnan film helped make it better

The heist movie is scheduled for a summer release

Heist film 'The Misfits', starring Pierce Brosnan, will be released across theatres this summer. Filmgate Productions

While the pandemic has been responsible, in part, for delaying the release of The Misfits – billed to be the first-of-its-kind blockbuster to be shot entirely in the UAE – it has allowed time for diligent revision to the film's soundtrack and visual effects.

Now scheduled to be released this summer, Mansoor Al Dhaheri, chief executive and founder of Filmgate Productions, says viewers are going "to have a blast" when they see the film.

"We made some changes. We made the film better through the music and the visual effects," Al Dhaheri tells The National. "We managed to get Trevor Rabin, the composer behind Armageddon, on the project. He was kind enough to take the project on short notice."

Rabin's score and the revamped visual effects, Al Dhaheri says, accentuate the thrilling nature of The Misfits. The film – which has a star-studded cast including the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Jamie Chung, Tim Roth and Nick Cannon – tells the story of a group of unconventional thieves who get caught up in an elaborate gold heist.

“It’s a fun, family film. The cast are all fantastic in their roles,” Al Dhaheri says. “We also have some local talent from around the region involved in the film in the cast and crew.”

But the most luminous star of the film might be Abu Dhabi itself. Al Dhaheri says most of the city's landmarks will make an appearance in The Misfits.

"The whole of Abu Dhabi is in the film. Its streets, the Corniche, the Etihad Towers, the Sheikh Zayed mosque and Emirates Palace. You'll see the whole city.

“We also shot in the desert and filmed several scenes in Dubai.”

With the UAE having a prominent presence in the film, Al Dhaheri says he wanted to make sure it was distributed properly and that it got its due. This also contributed to its delayed release.

Several streaming platforms showed an interest in picking up the film, Al Dhaheri says. But, ultimately, he thought it warranted a theatrical release. Now, the film’s distribution is being handled by Paramount Pictures, Highland Film Group and The Avenue Entertainment.

While most of us have to wait until the film hits cinemas some time in the summer, Al Dhaheri says that most of the film’s cast – including Brosnan – have already seen the film.

“We did a private screening for Pierce [Brosnan] and his wife,” Al Dhaheri says. “They enjoyed it. The whole cast are excited for its release.”

So will Brosnan be back to promote the film in the UAE when it premieres? Quite possibly.

Al Dhaheri says the James Bond actor grew fond of the city when he visited during filming in 2019. "He loved Abu Dhabi. He visited the Louvre no less than six times," he says. "He definitely showed interest in visiting again when the film releases."