Heba Mashari Hamada composed the original songs for the musical, which is directed by Tamer Mahdy.
MBC Group has announced the upcoming release of its first-ever Arabic-language musical production, titled Sukkar.
A first for the MENA, Sukkar, created by Heba Mashari Hamada, follows the journey of Sukkar and her friends who live in an orphanage, waking up every day with hopes of transforming their lives into something more meaningful and colourful. The head of the orphanage, Ratiba, is incredibly mean and makes life even harder for the kids.
Featuring original songs, Sukkar takes inspiration from the renowned epistolary novel, Daddy-Long-Legs, authored by American writer Jean Webster.
Under the direction of Tamer Mahdy, Sukkar stars Hala Turk in the lead role, alongside an ensemble of emerging artists hailing from across the GCC and the Middle East. The cast includes Yasmina El Abd, Hajar Mohammed, Wedeema Ahmad, Maria Jumaah, Moataz Hesham, Mohammad Al-Harbi, Bavly Remon, and twins Abdullah Khaled and Omar Khaled. Also starring in the production are prominent actors Magda Zaki, Reham Al Shanawany, and Mohammed Tharwat.
Scheduled for release on October 12, 2023, across the MENA region, Sukkar will be distributed by Empire Entertainment.
Spearheading the film’s production is Samar Akrouk, Group Director of Production at MBC Group, alongside MBC Executive Producer Lara Ghazal Nassif and MBC Producer Alaa Awada. Executive producer Tamer Mortada and producer Mostafa Al Awadi from Aroma Productions managed the cinematic execution, under the supervision of MBC Studios.
The musical’s original songs were penned by Heba Mashari Hamada, with Ehab Abdel Wahed composing the soundtrack, Ahmed Tareq Yehya handling arrangements, and Joy Music Production overseeing production. Renowned Egyptian singer Ahmed Saad lends his voice to the film.
Costume design is managed by Mona Tunisi, while art direction is supervised by Ali Hossam Ali. Leading cinematography is entrusted to Mostafa Fahmy.
Every filming location featured in the movie showcases newly constructed sets, including those representing the orphanage, Fruto Palace, the cityscape, dumpsters, and more. All set decorations were crafted for this project, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.
