A swarm of bees buzzing out the belly of a wrapped body, tunnels walled with corpses and dripping with blood, and staircases reminiscent of the winding realities of MC Escher illustrations.
The official trailer for Paranormal, Netflix's first original Egyptian series, has been released. And it is delightfully spooky.
The series, which is due to hit Netflix on Thursday, November 5, is based on the best-selling thriller novel series by the late Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. The Egyptian author is considered one of the first contemporary writers of horror and science fiction in the Arab world and wrote more than 200 books.
Set in the 1960s, the series tells the story of haematologist Refaat Ismail, who tries to uncover the truth behind a series of supernatural events. His journey of doubt will be presented in a series of six episodes, each centred around one of the famous urban legends in the Paranormal books. Every episode is a standalone story, but all are interconnected through one common, recurring element in the first season: The Khadrawy House.
Throughout the season, Refaat is accompanied by his university colleague, Maggie, as they enter the paranormal world and try to save their loved ones from the immense danger that surrounds them.
The show – which marks the first collaboration between Netflix and Egyptian producers – stars Ahmed Amin, Razane Jammal, Ayah Samaha, and Samaa Ibrahem. It was written and created by Amr Salama. Salama has also directed the show, along with Majid Alansari.
Scroll through below to see the first images from the show:
"I'm very excited about this project," Salama, who is also one of the show's producers, told Egyptian media after production wrapped up in July. "It has always been my dream to make Paranormal into a series. I'm proud to present the books in a new light while still keeping its essence. I can't wait to introduce these exciting stories to Netflix's audience in 190 countries around the world."
Paranormal is the third original Netflix show to come out of the Middle East after Jinn, which takes place in a Jordanian high school that two jinns are using as a supernatural battleground, and Al Rawabi School for Girls, which focuses on a group of bullied outcasts at an all-girl school in Jordan.
