A massive fire erupted on Friday at the Studio Misr in El Mariouteya, sending heavy flames and smoke into the sky and striking panic among residents and workers nearby.
The fire was quickly contained by civil protection units, with no injuries reported.
The blaze erupted at the backlot of the alley of actor Mohamed Emam's TV series "El King," set to air during Ramadan 2026.
The area was destroyed and suffered significant damage.
A full investigation to determine the cause of the blaze is underway. Initial inspection shows that the fire started in a highly flammable wooden material, which led to the fire spreading within minutes, due to the limited space and the abundance of wooden decorations inside the location.
Despite the setback, the crew is determined to continue and meet the Ramadan deadline.
Studio Misr: Where It All Started
Studio Misr is the oldest film studio in the Middle East. It was established by the Egyptian economist Talaat Harb on March 7, 1935, to support Egyptian cinema from that time onward. This was achieved through Misr for Acting and Cinema, one of the major institutions he founded in 1927.
Studio Misr produced a ten-minute short film to promote Egyptian products and also presented a weekly news bulletin covering the country's most important events, which was shown in cinemas before each film.
It also sent Egyptian directors and cinematographers to Europe to gain experience in cinematography, directing, set design, and makeup.
The studio's first film production was "Wedad" in 1935, starring the legendary singer Umm Kulthum.
Since its foundation, this cinematic landmark has witnessed remarkable development in various artistic and technical aspects, including set design, cinematography, editing, and the studios equipped for filming.
It also played a positive role in the history of Egyptian film production and contributed to strengthening Egypt's position in the arts.
Studio Misr was built on a large area that included several soundstages, set design workshops, dressing rooms for actors, and storage for costumes and film equipment.
The multi-talented artist Mohamed Bayoumi donated a collection of film cameras to the studio, which also housed one of the most famous sets depicting a traditional Egyptian alleyway, featured in numerous films. However, this set was destroyed by fire.
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