The final film in Tarik Saleh's Cairo trilogy starts filming in May with Fares Fares and Lyna Khoudri
Photographer: Yigit Eken
Copyright: ©Yigit Eken
Eagles of the Republic, the third and final film in Tarik Saleh's Cairo trilogy after successful The Nile Hilton Incident (Grand Jury Prize award, Sundance 2017) and Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven (Best Screenplay, Cannes 2022) starts principal photography in May. Written and directed by Tarik Saleh with award winning actor Fares Fares in the leading role. SF Studios distributes the film pan-Nordic with theatrical release in the fall of 2025.
The stellar international cast includes Swedish award-winning actor Fares Fares, French star Lyna Khoudri, celebrated American-Palestinian actress Cherien Dabis, renowned French-Moroccan actress Zineb Triki and critically acclaimed Finnish-Syrian actor Sherwan Haji, to name a few.
Principal photography started May 15th and will wrap up July 13th.
About the film
Egypt's most adored actor, George Fahmy (Fares Fares) is pressured to star in a film commissioned by the highest authorities. He reluctantly accepts the role and finds himself thrown into the inner circle of power. Like a moth drawn to the flame he begins an affair with the mysterious wife of the general overseeing the film.
”While writing Eagles of the Republic I found myself getting more and more worried about the characters in the script, it felt as if they were constantly dancing with the devil. When I had passed the point of no return in the story, I realized that I had myself passed that same point – I had to make this film – it was an equally arousing and terrifying feeling. To undertake this journey is like bungy-jumping and having lied about my weight”, says Tarik Saleh.
The music of the film will be composed by Academy Award winner Alexandre Desplat (Asteroid City 2023, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, 2022, Little Women, 2019, The Shape of Water, 2017, The Imitation Game, 2014).
International sales are picked up by Playtime, the French distribution is handled by Memento Distribution and SF Studios is distributing pan-Nordic.
The previous films in the Cairo trilogy were both huge international successes. Tarik Saleh won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival 2022 for Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven. The film was Sweden's Oscar entry 2023 and received a César nomination for ’Best Foreign Film’ 2023. The Nile Hilton Incident received the Grand Jury Award at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, the Swedish Academy Award for ’Best Film’ in 2018 and a César nomination for ’Best Foreign Language Film, to name a few awards.
”Unlimited Stories and Apparaten are thrilled to be part of Tarik’s next feature film Eagles of the Republic which marks a continuation of his remarkable trajectory. Tarik has firmly established himself as a master of the political thriller and his films are always pushing the boundaries between power and ideals. Eagles of the Republic promises to be as bold, complex and thrilling as his last two films, with high calibre international partners and a stellar cast”, says Linus Stöhr Torell, Linda Mutawi and Johan Lindström, Producers
”Memento Production and Memento Distribution are delighted to be reunited with Tarik Saleh to conclude his Cairo trilogy. We successfully distributed The Nile Hilton Incident in French cinemas (3MUSD box-office) before co-producing and distributing - again successfully - Cairo Conspiracy (4MUSD at French box-office, sold all over the world), so it was only logical to join him on this new project, which brings together all the elements that made the two previous films so successful but this time with even more tension, suspense and romance. The script already holds the promise of a great auteur film that is both spectacular and breathtaking, embracing the life of an entire country. Tarik Saleh has established himself as a new master of the political thriller, and Eagles of the Republic will confirm the unique style for which he is renowned”, says Alexandre Mallet-Guy, Producer
Eagles of the Republic aka Les Aigles de la République is a Swedish (Unlimited Stories & Apparaten), French (Memento Production), Danish (Ström Pictures), Finnish (Bufo) and German (Films Boutique) co-production with a budget of 10 MUSD making it one of the biggest productions for an Arabic language film to date.
Starring in the leading role as George Fahmy is award-winning Fares Fares who also starred in the two previous films in the Cairo trilogy, Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven, 2022 and The Nile Hilton Incident, 2017, the latter for which Fares received a Guldbagge Award for ’Best actor in a leading role’. They also worked together in Saleh’s Hollywood movie The Contractor, 2022, the animated dystopia Metropia, 2009 and in the futuristic HBO-series Westworld, 2018.
The role of Donya, George girlfriend is portrayed by French star Lyna Khoudri (The French Dispatch, 2021) who won a César in 2020 for ’Most Promising Actress’ for Papicha and the Orizzonti (Horizon) Award for 'Best Actress’ for Les Bienheureux aka the Blessed at the Venice Film Festival in 2017.
The stellar cast also includes names like American-Palestinian actress Cherien Dabis (Amazon Prime’s Fallout, 2024, Netflix’ Mo, 2022, May in the Summer, 2013), who also is an award winning writer and director herself (Only Murders in the Building, 2021-2023, Ramy, 2019-2022, Ozark, 2020, Amreeka 2009), celebrated French-Moroccan actress Zineb Triki (Vortex, 2022, The Bureau aka Le Bureau des Légendes, 2015-2020, Arthur Rambo, 2021), critically acclaimed Finnish-Syrian actor Sherwan Haji (Fallen Leaves aka Höstlöv som faller, 2023, Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven 2022, The Other Side of Hope aka Ljus i natten, 2017) and Jordanian actor Suhaib Nashwan (Amira (2021), Chronicles of Her, 2020, Layla M., 2016, The Team, 2018), among others.
”SF Studios aim to carry on our legacy of the house of Ingmar Bergman where Tarik’s talent is well placed and taken care of. As a co-producer it is a very happy re-union with Tarik. Eagles of the Republic is embracing excellent writing, roles made in heaven for actors and an extremely exciting and suspenseful story”, says Yaba Holst, co-producer SF Studios
Eagles of the Republic is produced by Unlimited Stories, Apparaten, and Memento Production, in co-production with Ström Pictures, Bufo, Films Boutique, SVT, Film i Väst, ARTE France Cinéma, SF Studios, Mikael Ahlström Films, Playtime & Post Control . With the support of the Swedish Film Institute, Playtime, Canal +, Ciné +, Eurimages, Nordisk Film & TV Fund, Memento Distribution, Bayerisher Rundfunk, ARTE France, Danish Film Institute, Centre National du cinéma et de l'image animée, Paris Region Fund, Finnish Film Foundation, Business Finland Oy, YLE and DR.
Produced by Linus Stöhr Torell, Unlimited Stories Linda Mutawi, Johan Lindström, Apparaten and Alexandre Mallet Guy, Memento Production.
Nordic distribution: SF Studios
French distribution: Memento Distribution
International sales: Playtime
Behind the camera
Director – Tarik Saleh
Writer – Tarik Saleh
Producers – Linda Mutawi, Linus Stöhr Torell, Johan Lindström and Alexandre Mallet-Guy
Photographer – Pierre Aïm
Production Designer – Roger Rosenberg
Costume Designer – Virginie Montel
Make up & Hair Designer – Saara Räisänen
Editor – Theis Schmidt
Music composer - Alexandre Desplat
among others
Tarik Saleh – Director and Scriptwriter
Tarik Saleh has a background as one of the most influential graffiti artists in Europe in the 80’s. His dramatic feature film debut came with Metropia, 2009, a dystopic animation with Stellan and Alexander Skarsgård, Juliette Lewis, Vincent Gallo and Udo Kier. The film premiered at Venice Film Festival as opening film for Critics’ Week. The Nile Hilton Incident won ‘The Grand Jury Prize’ at Sundance 2017, received a Guldbagge Award for ‘Best film’ in 2018, was nominated as ‘Best Foreign Film’ at the César Awards and was a box office hit with more than 400 thousand tickets sold in France. Tarik Saleh won the Prix du scénario for ’Best Screenplay’ at the Cannes Film Festival 2022 for Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven, Sweden's Oscar entry in 2023, received a César nomination for ’Best Foreign Film’ and achieved over 500,000 cinema admissions in France. He also directed The Contractor, 2022 starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Kiefer Sutherland, episodes of the futuristic HBO-series Westworld and Ray Donavon for Showtime 2018 and the Swedish thriller Tommy, 2014. Saleh also directed the documentaries Gitmo: The New Rules of War, 2005 and Sacrificio: Who Betrayed Che Guevara, 2001 together with Erik Gandini. Further, Saleh is known for his collaborations with singer Lykke Li. The music video I follow Rivers has over 60 million views on YouTube.
Press contact
For further information and interview requests please contact MONDAY RELATIONS:
Camilla Nasiell, camilla.nasiell@mondayrelations.se, +46 70 720 65 63
About SF Studios
SF Studios, established in 1919, is one of the world’s oldest film companies. Today SF Studios is the leading film studio in the Nordic region with its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and offices in Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki. The company is producing and distributing feature films and TV series as well as providing the streaming service SF Anytime. SF Studios is part of the leading Nordic media company Bonnier.
Latest news
Tarik Saleh's Eagles of the Republic in competition for Palme d'Or in Cannes
Tarik Saleh’s Eagles of the Republic has been selected in competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Eagles of the Republic is the third film in Saleh’s Cairo trilogy following Cannes winner (Best Screenplay, 2022) Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven. The political thriller starring Fares Fares is set in the powerful and glamorous Egyptian film industry, where the brightest shining star is drawn into the vicious undercurrent of deceit, corruption, and propaganda. The Cannes Film Festival takes place between May 13 and 24, 2025.
SF Studios’ new Danish comedy production OFFROAD starts shooting in Tenerife
The team behind the new Danish comedy OFFROAD has headed south to Tenerife to begin filming with a star-studded cast. Alongside the lead trio – Sofie Jo Kaufmanas, Julie Rudbæk, and Katinka Lærke Petersen – playing the roles of friends Maggie, Eva, and Stine, the cast also includes Ulrich Thomsen, Rasmus Bjerg, Rasmus Botoft, and Jesper Groth. OFFROAD is directed by Rasmus Heide, written by Rasmus Heide and Sara Ejersbo, and produced by SF Studios. The film is expected to premiere in cinemas during the autumn break of 2026.
SF Studios announces the Final Installment in the Nelly Rapp Trilogy, Premiering in 2026
SF Studios has now announced that the third and final film of the popular Nelly Rapp trilogy, based on Martin Widmark’s beloved books, will premiere in 2026. Nelly Rapp – The Gate to the Underworld picks up where the previous film left off, once again following Matilda Gross as the popular monster agent. Johan Rosell returns as director, with a screenplay by Sofie and Tove Forsman. Jonathan Ridings and Niklas Larsson are producing for SF Studios, which is also distributing the film. Filming is set to begin in October 2025, and audiences can look forward to its theatrical release in 2026. REinvent handles international sales.
SF Studios’ production The Are Murders is a global success on Netflix
SF Studio's Swedish Netflix Production The Are Murders (Swedish title: Åremorden), which premiered on Netflix on February 6, has become a global sensation on Netflix. The series quickly became the most watched series during the week in 26 countries and has been called “Netflix’s Best New Crime Show” by Forbes. The series has garnered 8 800 000 views and is the most watched non-English series of the week.
SF Studios to release Lotte & Totte: My First Friend in July in the Nordics
Gunilla Wolde’s classic children’s book characters, Lotte & Totte, are now making their debut on the big screen in the animated feature film Lotte & Totte: My First Friend. SF Studios distributes the film across the Nordics in July!
SF Studios receives six Jussi Award nominations
Today the nominations for the Finnish Jussi Awards were announced. SF Studios distribution titles received a total of six nominations for The Missile (Finnish title: Ohjus, released February 2) and Butterflies (Finnish title: Perhoset, released September 27 with the former receiving a Best Film nomination. The award ceremony will take place on March 21. The Jussi Awards are presented by the Filmiaura Association. Filmiaura’s over 600 members consist of film makers, film distributors, film journalists, cinema operators and other professionals working with Finnish film. The award ceremony will take place on March 21.
SF Studios produces second season of OXEN in co-production with SquareOne Productions and Nafta Films for TV 2 Denmark and ZDF Germany - REinvent handles international sales
The second season of OXEN, one of the most successful Danish series in recent years, is heading towards post-production. The thriller series is produced by SF Studios in co-production with SquareOne Productions and Nafta Films for TV 2 Denmark and ZDF Germany. REinvent handles international sales. The series will be released on TV 2 Denmark this year and ZDF in 2026.
SF Studios theatrical distribution titles received a total of 21 Oscar nominations
Today the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were announced, and SF Studios’ Nordic distribution titles Conclave and Emilia Pérez received a total of 21 nominations. Emilia Pérez led the nomination tally with 13 nominations while Conclave received 8 nominations, both were nominated for Best Picture.
Tanya Badendyck new CEO at SF Studios’ Norwegian production company Paradox
SF Studios today announces the appointment of Tanya Badendyck as the new CEO of Paradox, effective January 1, 2025. With a career, spanning decades in the film and TV industry as both producer and film commissioner, Tanya brings extensive expertise and experience to this role. Paradox, fully owned by SF Studios and one of Norway's leading production companies, embarks on a new chapter with this appointment, further strengthening its commitment to producing high-quality Norwegian film and drama.
SF Studios receives 8 Danish Robert nominations
Today, the nominations for the Danish Robert Awards 2025 were announced, and our production and distribution titles received a total of eight nominations. These include six nominations for The Kingmaker (Danish title: Mørkeland), as well as one nomination each for Paranoia and The Zone of Interest. Additionally, actor Patrick A. Hansen has been nominated for the Fear Nothing Talent Award for his role in The Kingmaker.
SF Studios’ The Åre Murders to Premiere Globally on Netflix February 6, 2025
SF Studios is proud to announce that its highly anticipated production, The Åre Murders (Åremorden), will premiere exclusively on Netflix on February 6, 2025. The series is based on the novels "Hidden in Snow" and "Hidden in the Shadows" by bestselling Swedish author Viveca Sten.
SF Studios receives four nominations at the Guldbagge Awards 2025
Today, the nominations for Sweden’s Guldbaggen awards 2025 were announced. The Guldbagge Awards celebrates outstanding achievements in the Swedish film industry. SF Studios’ production and distribution titles received four nominations. The awards ceremony will take place on January 13 in Stockholm.
Trailer for Second Victims is here
The trailer for Second Victims is here! Directed by Zinnini Elkington and starring Özlem Saglanmak, Trine Dyrholm, and Mathilde Arcel, this powerful drama explores the consequences of a single moment of misjudgment. Watch the trailer here.
SF Studios has acquired the Nordic distribution rights to Ruben Östlund's new film The Entertainment System is Down
SF Studios has acquired the Nordic distribution rights for The Entertainment System is Down, the highly anticipated new feature film by two-time Palme d’Or-winning director Ruben Östlund (The Square, Triangle of Sadness). With a star-studded ensemble, the film promises to deliver Östlund’s signature blend of sharp social commentary and compelling storytelling. Östlund serves as the film’s director and screenwriter with Erik Hemmendorff producing for Plattform Produktion. SF Studios is looking forward to once again collaborating with Plattform Produktion and Ruben Östlund after the success of films such as Involuntary (2008), Play (2011) and Triangle of Sadness (2022). The film is expected to have its Nordic theatrical release in the autumn of 2026.
No. 24 is Best Opening for a Norwegian Film This Year
SF Studios’ Norwegian distribution title No. 24, which tells the story of legendary resistance fighter Gunnar "Kjakan" Sønsteby, opened to nearly 90,000 admissions at the Norwegian cinemas following its theatrical release on October 30. This impressive number makes it the top-opening Norwegian film of the year.
