Sep 21, 2020

Netflix Signs Five-Year Deal with Saudi Animation Studio Myrkott

Riyadh-based studio Myrkott, creators of the satirical Youtube series-turned-theatrical feature film "Masameer," has entered into an exclusive five-year partnership with Netflix to produce animated series and films focused on Saudi Arabia He has formed a partnership with Netflix to produce animated series and films focused on Saudi Arabia.

The deal also gives Netflix a first-look option on all future projects produced by Myrkott.

According to Arab News, which broke the news of the deal, Myrkott will now exclusively produce new seasons of the Masameer series for Netflix, in addition to producing a Masameer movie, a new original adult animated series, and an original feature film, provide newly edited versions of past Masameer episodes.

The deal is Netflix's largest investment in Arab animation to date and represents Netflix's increasing focus on content created specifically for viewers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. [Nuha Eltayeb, Netflix's director of content acquisition for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Turkey, told Arab News, "Myrkott is at the forefront of creative storytelling and animation in the region. [Myrkott CEO and co-founder Abdulaziz al-Muzaini (pictured above, right) said in a statement, "We at Myrkott think beyond the production side of this partnership.

Speaking more broadly about Netflix's commitment to the region, Eltayeb said:

We have embraced the uniqueness of the Arab world and developed a regional investment strategy that addresses the nuances of audiences in this region. We are rapidly expanding our library of Arabic content, investing in more original Arabic productions, localizing content through subtitling and dubbing efforts, partnering with companies, and hiring people from this region dedicated to spearheading our growth in the Arab world.

[16] We want to provide Arab storytellers with the tools they need to tell the best versions of their stories and connect these stories with a global audience so that we can export a culture that has been under-treated and under-represented. [We want to be a meaningful part of the region's creative community, not only by creating content by Arabs for Arabs, but also by providing a platform for local talent and filmmakers to gain a global following by exposing Arab-language programming and films to the world.

Elt.

Eltayeb is expanding the options for viewing non-Arab content on Netflix by adding Netflix's original animated feature films like "The Willoughbys" and the upcoming "Over the Moon" to the modern standard Arabic dubbing, He added that he is also dubbing in Egyptian dialects.

Earlier this year, Cartoon Brew told Myrkott co-founder Malik Nejer (pictured above, left) that the studio was able to produce its first feature film, Masameer: The Movie, in just eight months.