Production crises threaten Mohamed Imam new film release
The film "Shams Al-Zenati.. Days of Mischief," starring Egyptian actor Mohamed Imam, has entered a new phase of production complications after the unveiling of the official promotional poster sparked sharp disagreements among the producing entities, accompanied by threats of legal steps that could disrupt the screening and distribution process. The crisis erupted immediately after producer Raymond Ramsis objected to the omission of his company's name and logo from the promotional poster, stressing that it is a core and genuine partner in the production process and that bypassing it constitutes a breach of the contract terms and an infringement on material and moral rights. Ramsis explained in a related context that the dispute is still under judicial review, denying at the same time the issuance of any judicial rulings granting any party the right to monopolize the work. He pointed out that the legal team is currently studying filing a request to impose judicial custodianship on the filmed materials, initiating measures to halt the screening and distribution operations, and filing an official report regarding the published advertising campaign. He noted that the Cinema Industry Chamber had previously given the other party a one-week deadline to allow the accountants affiliated with his company to review the financial records and documents related to expenses. In contrast, the legal office of attorney Hossam Lotfy had previously emphasized that production partnership rights belong to the companies "AKA Production" and "Back Era Production," while "Al-Rashidi Film Production" handles the field and executive supervision. These developments are a continuation of the series of obstacles that have hindered the project since it was announced more than three years ago, including production disputes and fundamental modifications to the crew. The project experienced a directorial shift, with the reins passing from Amr Salama to Ahmed Khaled Moussa, in addition to the withdrawal of a number of artists, most notably Omar Metwally. The film stars Mohamed Imam alongside Yasmine Rais, Bassem Samra, and Mohamed Tharwat. The film seeks to revive the cinematic atmosphere of the classic "Shams Al-Zenati" work presented by Adel Imam in 1991, in a new format that garnered wide public interest before production stumbles pursued it.
