Netflix grabs its first major Arabic-language film

HOLLYWOOD, March 10 (UPI) -- Netflix has landed global streaming rights for its first major Arabic-language film, Rattle The Cage.

The thriller, also titled Zinzana, comes from emerging Emirati director Majid AL-Ansari and production company Image Nation Abu Dhabi.

The film follows a young man trapped in a jail cell under the watch of a madman who psychologically and physically tortures him as part of a high-stakes game to save his family. It stars Ali Suliman and Saleh Bakri in the lead roles.

The screenplay, written by Ruckus and Lane Skye, was chosen from the Blacklist of unproduced scripts and given a regional twist. Rattle The Cage premiered during last year's Fantastic Fest in Texas.

The acquisition comes about two months after Netflix began streaming worldwide, providing Arabic, Korean and Chinese subtitles for its popular shows.

"Today you are witnessing the birth of a new global internet TV network," Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said at the time. "With this launch, consumers around the world -- from Singapore to St. Petersburg, from San Francisco to Sao Paulo -- will be able to enjoy TV shows and movies simultaneously -- no more waiting. With the help of the internet, we are putting power in consumers' hands to watch whenever, wherever and on whatever device."