Jordan Times
Monday, July 09, 2007
$100 million action film to be shot in Petra
Petra will be the location of a $100 million international feature film, an action-adventure that is expected to resemble
Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
“City of the Lost Spirits”, which will expose the myths and legends of Petra over a history of 3,000 years, was written by
Jordanian writer/director Sandra Kawar. The Jordanian partner in the “deal”, Blaze Agency, said the production would be
ready for screening in two years if things go according to schedule.
Kawar, who is Blaze Agency’s creative director, said the agreement has already been concluded with UK-based Unizarre
Productions, which confirmed the development in its statements.
“On 31st May 2007 Unizarre International sig-ned contracts with Blaze Agency in Jordan to develop and produce ‘City of Lost
Spirits’ as a major multi-million dollar international feature film project akin in style to Indiana Jones/Raiders of
the Lost Ark,” the company said in a statement posted on its website (www.unizarre.com).
Unizarre International’s CEO/President David Bowles was quoted as confirming today that his company has “completed
negotiations with Jordan for the exciting new major international feature film
project… covering 3,000 years of magical myths and legends of the ancient city of Petra and its surrounding kingdoms. “
Blaze Agency is cooperating in the venture with the Royal Film Commission and top-level investors and groups in Jordan, the
partners said.
“The City of Lost Spirit” is a fantasy movie that would tell the story of Petra in the past three millennia, Kawar told
The Jordan Times.
Unizarre will invite and acquire investments, productions, sales and marketing and ditribution interests of major US and
international co-producers and ditributors such as Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, Touchstone, Sony “to increase the
impact of global sales, marketing and merchandising,” Bowles said in a press statement.
“This movie will place Jordan and the local production agency at the helm of the international film marketplace,” Unizarrre’s
chief added.
Bowles and Unizarre’s head of funding and distribution, Rebecca Tranter, will be in Jordan by the end of this month for a site
tour in Petra, Kawar told The Jordan Times.
Then they will head to US for further investment, funding, production and media meetings.
According to the book, “The American Film Institute Desk,” (2002), action-adventure films depict a protagonist’s struggle against
life-threatening obstacles in pursuit of a goal. They are high in thrills and may be called thrillers.
A good example is Indiana Jones. In this sequel, Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr., also known as “Indy,” is a fictional professor,
archaeologist and adventurer. He was the main protagonist of the 1981 adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark, later retitled Indiana
Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The fourth part of the sequel is under production this year.
The character is most famously played by Holywood star Harrison Ford.