Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s Globally Acclaimed Horror ‘HOKUM’ to Open in Regional Cinemas May 7

(MENAFN- Weber Shandwick) Abu Dhabi, UAE – May 06, 2026: This May, Image Nation Abu Dhabi brings its latest international production to regional screens, as HOKUM opens in cinemas across the UAE and wider MENA region on 7 May. The supernatural horror will be released regionally by Front Row Filmed Entertainment, which has acquired all MENA rights to HOKUM from NEON, following its global theatrical rollout earlier this month where it has already ranked among the top five films at the U.S. box office.
Produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the studio behind Al Kameen and Hoba, in partnership with Spooky Pictures and Cweature Features, HOKUM is the latest chapter in a growing slate of internationally recognized genre films, reinforcing the studio’s position as a global player, rooted in Abu Dhabi.
Directed by Damian McCarthy, one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary horror, HOKUM arrives with strong momentum. The film premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival to critical acclaim, earning a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. McCarthy, known for Oddity (winner of the SXSW Audience Award) and Caveat, continues his signature approach to psychological tension with his most ambitious project to date.
Starring Emmy-nominated actor Adam Scott (Severance, Parks and Recreation, Big Little Lies), alongside Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Michael Patric, Will O’Connell, Brendan Conroy, and Austin Amelio, the film follows an American novelist who retreats to a remote coastal hotel, only to find himself drawn into a chilling mystery surrounding a sealed room and a dark, inescapable force.
While HOKUM unfolds on an international narrative canvas, part of its story is grounded in the UAE. Key scenes were filmed on location in the Remah Desert in Al Ain, with production supported by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission part of the Creative Media Authority, showcasing the emirate’s growing role as a destination for global filmmaking.
The film is produced by Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy, Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde and Mairtín de Barra, with executive producers including Ben Ross, CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Rami Yasin, Dan Kagan, Andrew Childs, Tom Quinn, Ryan Friscia, Jeff Deutchman, Eva O’Brien and Bryan Meng and Dr. Terence Chan for Team Thrives. Co-production funding was supported by Screen Ireland, with Tailored Films also on board.
HOKUM continues the successful collaboration between Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures, following Watcher, The Plague and the international box office hit Late Night with the Devil, as well as HOBA, directed by Emirati filmmaker Majid Al Ansari and marking the first Arabic-language film from the partnership. Image Nation is the studio behind Emirati blockbusters like Al Kameen – the most successful Emirati film release to date – and its partnerships with international stalwarts like Spooky Pictures and NEON reflect a clear strategy that focuses on producing globally competitive films while expanding the creative footprint of Abu Dhabi on the world stage.

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