This week, Netflix released the first teaser for their first original Arabic series Jinn. The series is a supernatural drama about a group of teenagers who unwittingly release a Jinn while visiting the lost city of Petra in Jordan. The synopsis reads, “When a girl accidentally releases a jinn in the form of a teenage boy, they learn that they’ve also unleashed an ancient darkness that threatens the world.”

Jinns, also known as djinns or genies, are supernatural creatures that originated in pre-Islamic Arab culture, before being folded in with Islamic mythology. Jinns are powerful entities that look human, and can be good or evil. Jinns have long existed in fables and folklore, and are perhaps best known to Western audiences through the Genie character in Aladdin. Jinns have also appeared in the Starz series American Gods.

The six episode first season of Jinn will be directed by Lebanese director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Very Big Shot) and Jordanian screenwriter Bassel Ghandour (Oscar-nominated Theeb). Twin brothers Elan and Rajeev Dassani are executive producing and co-writing the series. The Dassanis are best known for their visual effects work, having supervised VFX on Scandal, Justified, and How to Get Away With Murder.

Jinn is an exciting new addition to the seemingly endless roster of Netflix original series. As the streaming giant expands globally, so does their international programming. Jinn is especially unique, as it is not only Netflix’s first ever original Arabic series, but also one of the first teen dramas based in that world.

Rajeev Dassani said of the series, “Creating Netflix’s first Arabic Original, and one of the first teen-focused shows ever from the Arab world, has been an unforgettable experience. We’ve had so many local teens tell us they’ve never seen themselves accurately represented on screen, and it is both our pleasure and our responsibility to bring that to them and, in doing so, showcase all that the region has to offer.”

Supernatural dramas have always been popular internationally. Genre shows account for roughly half of the most watched series worldwide, with juggernauts like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead claiming the top spots. Other shows that have massive global fan bases include The Flash, Supernatural, Gotham, Arrow, and Stranger Things.

And it’s easy to see why. Supernatural, fantasy, and superhero shows can transcend culture in a way that comedies and dramas often can’t. All cultures have their own mythology, their own monsters, their own legends. And the common refrain of humans banding together to fight the supernatural resonate on an international level.

But while the world has been inundated with Western mythos, Americans and Europeans have not had the same exposure Eastern mythology and culture. Jinn is a terrific opportunity to explore a new culture through the always popular lens of supernatural teen drama.

Jinn premieres on June 13th, 2019.

(via Deadline, image: Netflix)

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