TEHRAN – Production has begun on an animated series based on the Shahnameh, the epic masterpiece by Persian poet Ferdowsi, under the direction and production of Ashkan Rahgozar at Hoorakhsh Studio.
The project aims to adapt the entire Shahnameh, from the beginning to the end, with production and release planned to continue over approximately 10 years.
Rahgozar, who previously directed the animated feature film The Last Fiction and wrote and produced seven volumes of graphic novels based on stories from the Shahnameh, is returning to Ferdowsi’s epic with the new series.
Pre-production has begun at Hoorakhsh Studio, combining artificial intelligence tools with traditional 2D animation techniques.
The series will be produced in both Persian and English, with plans for distribution on international platforms. Each season is expected to consist of eight to 12 episodes, with individual episodes running between 15 and 20 minutes.
The first season, titled “The First King,” will focus on the reign of Keyumars, the first king in the Shahnameh.
Rahgozar serves as the project’s director, producer and principal creative mind, while Aida Noshali is writing the screenplay. Shamayel Ehtiyatkar is overseeing AI-assisted illustration, and Nadia Mansouri is serving as production manager.
The series marks another major effort by Rahgozar to bring the stories and characters of Ferdowsi’s epic to contemporary audiences through animation, while introducing one of the most important works of Persian literature to viewers around the world.