Actor Mohammad Imam released the first teaser poster for the upcoming film Shams El Zanati: Days of Mischief, sparking a multi-company ownership dispute over marketing materials, legal threats of receivership, and competing claims of production rights.
The Teaser Poster Launch and Ownership Dispute Over Shams El Zanati 2
The release of the promotional artwork for Shams El Zanati: Days of Mischief immediately ruptured behind-the-scenes partnerships. Producer Mohamed Rashidi published the visual materials across social media platforms to begin the promotional rollout for theatrical distribution in Egypt and across the Arab world.
Within hours, producer Raymond Ramzy issued sharp objections. Represented by his production entity AKA, Ramzy announced that the poster’s publication without his company name and logo violated their partnership agreement. According to documents registered with Egypt’s Cinema Industry Chamber and the Central Administration for Censorship of Audiovisual Works, AKA maintains status as a primary co-producer alongside Pack Area (Rasheedy Films), which handled physical execution.
Legal Confrontation and Proposed Countermeasures by AKA Production
The dispute centers on alleged breaches of the eleventh clause of the production partnership contract. Legal representatives for Ramzy’s company invoked Egypt’s intellectual property protection legislation, arguing that omitting their corporate branding damages both moral and financial rights.
- Filing petitions to place the filmed material under judicial receivership
- Seeking formal court orders to freeze all theatrical exhibition and distribution rights
- Filing administrative complaints with the Artistic Works Police regarding unauthorized advertising
- Requesting the Cinema Industry Chamber and the Syndicate of Film Professions to halt processing files or issuing distribution permits for the project to any other party
AKA issued warnings to cinematic distributors, satellite channels, and digital streaming platforms in Egypt and abroad, cautioning them against signing agreements or accepting physical copies until the ownership conflict is resolved.
Disputed Financial Claims and Rumors of Arrest
The poster controversy followed weeks of background turbulence. False reports had circulated on social media alleging that Ramzy was arrested under a prison sentence related to financial liabilities. Ramzy rejected those claims directly from his office, maintaining that he continues his daily operations unobstructed.
Addressing the underlying financial friction, legal counsel Hossam Lotfy explained that a disputed check involving Synergy Films served as a security guarantee rather than a sign of evasion. The defense argued that turning that instrument into a direct misdemeanor case served as pressure to force Ramzy’s firm out of the production.
The dispute has reached the Egyptian courts alongside a prior complaint submitted to the Egyptian Cinema Industry Chamber, which granted the opposing company a one-week deadline to allow accountants to audit disbursement documents.
Prequel Production Status and Nostalgia for the 1991 Original
Despite ongoing disputes between production partners, Mohammad Imam continues filming remaining scenes under director Ahmed Khaled Mousa. The project acts as a narrative prequel set 15 years prior to the events of the 1991 classic directed by the late Nader Seif and starring Adel Imam.
The storyline explores the early formation of the Zananati group and the conditions preceding the clash with Marshal Burai and his men in the oasis. Alongside Mohammad Imam, the cast features Yasmine Rais, Bassem Samra, Mahmoud Abdel Moghny, Mohamed Tharwat, Ahmed El Rafei, Khaled Anwar, Ahmed Abdel Hamid, Ahmed Magdy, and Engy Kiwan. While production moves toward completion, neither Rasheedy Films nor associated co-producers have issued a public response to Ramzy’s legal filings.
