‘Queen of My Dreams’ Director Fawzia Mirza to Helm South Asian Paranormal Thriller ‘Bhoot’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Fawzia Mirza , the award-winning director of “ The Queen of My Dreams ,” has been tapped to helm “ Bhoot ,” an English-language South Asian paranormal thriller from Toronto-based Champ & Pepper and multi-hyphenate Dana Abraham. The film, written by and co-starring Abraham (“Orphan Black: Echoes”), is eyeing a fall 2026 production start, with casting announcements expected throughout the new year. Champ & Pepper, a marketing agency known for handling global campaigns for major studio releases, is making its first major push into original film production with the project. “Bhoot” centers on Aru Saha, a young South Asian woman grappling with grief, guilt and generational pressure who arrives with her brother Das and their parents in an ostensibly perfect town concealing a supernatural secret drawn from South Asian folklore. The psychological horror aims to blend emotional family drama with genre elements. Popular on Variety Abraham is producing under his Red Hill Creative banner alongside Champ & Pepper’s Jeff Pestell and Glenn Karpel. Ella Wahlstedt of Quarterlife Pictures also serves as producer, having developed the screenplay with Abraham from its inception. “‘Bhoot’ is about what haunts us internally - the guilt we inherit, the grief we bury, and the courage it takes to confront both,” said Abraham. “Having Fawzia join us elevates this film in ways I couldn’t imagine. Her voice, vision, and authenticity in championing South Asian stories makes her the perfect filmmaking partner as Champ & Pepper and I build something bold, terrifying, and emotionally resonant. With their decades of global marketing experience and deep studio relationships, we’re preparing for a strategic rollout long before the cameras roll.” Mirza’s feature directorial debut, “The Queen of My Dreams,” world premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and screened at SXSW among dozens of festivals before its theatrical release. The film recently earned a GLAAD Award nomination for outstanding feature and received two Canadian Screen Awards and the Directors Guild of Canada award for best feature, among other honors. The director most recently wrapped production on Tubi and Webtoon Productions feature “Kissing Is the Easy Part” and will return to direct Season 2 of Hulu comedy series “Deli Boys.” “I’ve been searching for a genre/thriller project to direct. Horror is as visceral as comedy. As evocative as love. As real as romance. Genre is all about the feeling. Dana’s script delivers on all of those emotions. It was an easy ‘Yes!'” Mirza said. “Champ & Pepper is excited to continue our evolution of supporting film through content creation and marketing-first strategies,” added Pestell, president of Champ & Pepper. “Moving into development and production is a natural next step for us and we are thrilled to be partnering with Dana and Red Hill on ‘Bhoot.’ Having a director like Fawzia on board only makes this even more thrilling.” Abraham is currently entering production on sports-comedy series “Strikers,” set to begin filming this spring. He has previously written, produced and starred in three feature films. “Bhoot,” which will feature a fully South Asian...

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