Arab-English Thriller Djinn from Horror Master Tobe Hooper Delayed

Tobe Hooper at the premiere of a film he produced.

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Horror fans looking forward to Djinn, the second locally produced title from Imagenation, will have to wait a few more months before the film hits cinema screens.

The supernatural thriller, based in Ras Al Khaimah and directed by Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame, was previously scheduled for release towards the start of 2012, but it now seems delays in post-production will push the date back to the summer.

"It should hopefully be out in the middle of this year," said Mohammed Al Otaiba, the head of Imagenation Abu Dhabi. "It just took slightly longer than planned."

Set in Ras Al Khaimah several years in the future, Djinn follows the story of a young Emirati couple who return home and move into a luxury high-rise, only to discover that their neighbours might not be entirely human.

The film flashes back to before the apartments were built, to when the site was an abandoned fishing village and shows a visiting American backpacker being introduced to the concept of local spirits - djinn - by two Emiratis.

But the film has recently come under fire from some horror film bloggers.

One website said that after a test screening in London - where it went down very well with the audience - two distributors offered to buy Djinn but were turned down. Imagenation's head of communications, Danielle Perissi, said that was not true.

"No formal offers were made for Djinn whatsoever," Ms Perissi said.

Sources close to the production claim the film has been finished since the end of October. "From a technical point of view, the film is ready to go," said one, who did not wish to be named.

Horror fans looking forward to Djinn, the second locally produced title from Imagenation, will have to wait a few more months before the film hits cinema screens.

The supernatural thriller, based in Ras Al Khaimah and directed by Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame, was previously scheduled for release towards the start of 2012, but it now seems delays in post-production will push the date back to the summer.

"It should hopefully be out in the middle of this year," said Mohammed Al Otaiba, the head of Imagenation Abu Dhabi. "It just took slightly longer than planned."

Set in Ras Al Khaimah several years in the future, Djinn follows the story of a young Emirati couple who return home and move into a luxury high-rise, only to discover that their neighbours might not be entirely human.

The film flashes back to before the apartments were built, to when the site was an abandoned fishing village and shows a visiting American backpacker being introduced to the concept of local spirits - djinn - by two Emiratis.

But the film has recently come under fire from some horror film bloggers.

One website said that after a test screening in London - where it went down very well with the audience - two distributors offered to buy Djinn but were turned down. Imagenation's head of communications, Danielle Perissi, said that was not true.

"No formal offers were made for Djinn whatsoever," Ms Perissi said.

Sources close to the production claim the film has been finished since the end of October. "From a technical point of view, the film is ready to go," said one, who did not wish to be named.

By Alex Ritman