Hollywood is aiming to go halal and is using the metro Detroit region to get the mission accomplished.
Last week, the production of the film “American Sharia” wrapped in Dearborn Heights after a month-long shoot around metro Detroit that employed dozens of Muslims and Arab Americans from California, New York and Michigan.
Billed as “the first ever Halal Comedy/Action feature film of its kind,” “American Sharia” is a buddy-cop film starring Detroit-born comedian Omar Regan and Iranian American comedian Baba Ali.
The two actors play Muslim cops from completely opposite backgrounds, who band together to fight crime in Detroit and learn a few things about religion, culture and stereotypes along the way.
Regan, 39, also serves as the director, producer and writer of the film, which is the first production under his company “Halalywood Entertainment.”
The company was formed with a mission to produce films that aim to educate the public about Muslims and Arabs, breaking away from the stereotypes depicted in the media and Hollywood.
“The ultimate goal here is to tell people that Muslims are not terrorists,” Regan told The Arab American News. “To be associated as terrorists is just plain annoying. That’s what everybody sees on the news and people become programmed to think that. We want to show that Muslims are human beings who can smile and laugh. We want to show that not all Muslims are Arabs and not all Arabs are Muslim.”
Regan’s family converted to Islam when he was a child. As a teenager, he decided to pursue a career path in the entertainment field.
Starting off as a musician, he opened up for renowned acts that included Eminem, Redman, Method Man and Wu Tang Clang. After realizing he had comedic skills, he moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19 to pursue a career in stand-up comedy and acting. He appeared in a string of projects, including the E! Reality TV series “Fight For Fame.”
As a comedian, he gradually built a following with his stand-up routines, where he often used humor to promote tolerance and diversity.
As an African American Muslim, he constantly discussed being a minority within a minority group. His stand up routines have aimed to build bridges across racial, religious and social divides.
In 2009, Regan was struck with tragedy when his father, Luqman Ameen Abdullah, an imam for a mosque on Detroit’s west side, was killed by federal agents in a controversial sting operation. He publicly denounced the government’s actions and aimed to further educate the masses about Islam.
Regan said “Halalywood Entertainment” will also serve as a platform for Muslim and Arab actors, directors and writers who are looking to get films made in Hollywood without fear of being turned away. The crew of “American Sharia” is comprised of people from diverse backgrounds, religions and ethnicities.
It took about two years to get the “American Sharia” project off the ground. Before production for the film even began, Regan created a two-minute trailer in hopes of selling the project to investors.
Regan used Kickstarter, an online crowd funding platform, to generate funds for the film. Since the campaign for the film was launched last December, the film earned $122,000 in donations in less than 40 days. When the project became financially secure, Regan knew it would be suitable to bring the production to the diverse communities of metro Detroit.
“I’m really humble and grateful to be filming in Detroit,” Regan said. “Everything that I know and everything that I’ve grown to be is because of this city.”
City officials in Dearborn Heights were very lenient regarding the production of the film, allowing the cast and crew to shoot at several prime location, including at the Berwyn Senior Citizen Center. Scenes were also shot at the Alsadek Market on Warren Ave. in Dearborn and in and around Downtown Detroit.
Susu Tobia, a Detroit-based Arab American actress, was also involved in the production of the film. In addition to having a speaking part, she worked behind the camera as a casting coordinator. Tobia has been involved in several other productions, including working on the production staff of “American Idol.”
“I have been very fortunate to work on this movie, because we have people here from Los Angeles and New York,” Tobia said. “We’ve all come together to create this project. One of my favorite things in the world is the ability to make people laugh and that’s what attracted me to this film. So many cultures, races and ethnicities are involved with this production and that makes it a very unique experience.”
On the last day of production at the Berwyn Senior Citizen Center, more than 100 extras turned out, many dressed in Islamic attire, to shoot a scene depicting a homeless shelter being raided by the police.
During a production break, a Latino-American actor from Los Angeles, who also serves as a producer on the film, told The Arab American News that filming in Detroit has exposed him to various cultures.
“It’s been a cultural shock and a half,” said Jaime Zevallos. “I’ve never been around so many Arabic people in my life. They’ve greeted and embraced us with open arms.”
Meanwhile, Regan said his goal after finishing up production of “American Sharia” will be to produce more films in a similar fashion for “Halalywood Productions.” He’s got several films in the works, including a Halal romantic comedy and another film involving a Muslim family who are neighbors with Jewish and Christian families.
“I have all these films lined up that are written and ready to go,” he said. “The reason why we call it “Halalywood” is because we are not promoting any sex and we are respecting the boundaries between men and women. We are not using profanity; we are just having fun and educating the masses of people in order to make change.”
The trailer for “American Sharia” is currently available on YouTube. A release date for the film has not yet been slated, but Regan is hoping to roll-out the film in the late fall.