The kick-off of 68 th annual Cannes Film Festival bore good news for Ahmed Towfik, novelist and author of the 2008 bestseller "Utopia," with the announcement that his futuristic apocalyptic novel will be mad into a movie.
The film adaptation is set to be directed by Rami Imam, son of cinema veteran Adel Imam. Some of his well-known works include “Amir El Zalam” (Prince of Darkness) and “Hassan and Morcus”.
“Utopia requires a gargantuan and exceptional effort in visual and special effects, a la Marvel Studios, including greenscreens and CG shots highlighting both worlds,” Imam said .
The novel was widely popular in Egypt and the Middle East, with two translated versions in English and French.
Set in the year 2023, "Utopia" portrays Egypt after the middle class disintegrated into nothingness, leaving society with two polarized classes of the extremely rich and the impoverished.
Behind gated coastal communities that are safeguarded by United States Marines, the rich control the country’s economy and live in lavish wealth that has corroded every sense of morality.
In pursuit of a rush of excitement, two young residents of Utopia decide to venture outside the city gates to hunt the worthless “others.” A rollercoaster of events takes the two through a perspective-changing journey that draws a clear picture of where the country is headed, should the current gap between the social classes continue to grow,
The highly anticipated film treatment of “Utopia” will be developed and co-produced by Imam’s production company, True-Motion.
Although the casting of the film isn't yet clear to the public, Imam plans to invite at least one high profile American actor to play one of the Marines, according to Variety . Mad Solutions, the Cairo-based marketing and distribution company, will also be involved with the movie.
However, the most pressing question, which is when will production start, was not answered
We’ll all have to just eagerly wait for the big news.