'Iraqi Sniper' is Amr Salama's Upcoming Project, an Anti-War Response to 'American Sniper'

Three years after the release of the commercial hit movie American Sniper, which stirred wide-spread controversy for it's perceived pro-war stance, Egypt's directorial tour-de-force Amr Salama just announced that he's currently preparing for a new movie project that will serve as an 'anti-war response' to the 2014 war drama, reports The Hollywood Reporter(THR).

American Sniper, which was directed by Clint Eastwood, starred Bradley Cooper in the role of US Army sniper Chris Kyle, who gets sent to the frontlines of war-torn Iraq. Kyle's main antagonist and the villan's story is the character Moustafa, a well-trained Arab sniper, whose side of the story is what Amr Salama is working on presenting in his upcoming movie, which is titled Iraqi Sniper.

“He’s the hero in my film,” Salama tells THR, adding that "Iraqi Sniper will tell the other side of the story of American Sniper, the story of the villain.”

The project will witness the third collaboration between Salama and established Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, with the latest of them being the highly-anticipated drama Sheikh Jackson. Joining them is the distinguished Palestinian/Dutch producer, and two-time Oscar nominee, Hany Abu-Assad.

“This story merits to be told even if American Sniper hadn’t come out,” Hefzy tells THR. “He’s a very interesting character, a complex character. Amr did a lot of research and we’re trying to get his evolution right," Hefzy tells THR.

The project is currently in the script writing phase, with the report suggesting that the lead role has already been filled. Salama further expressed his eagerness to put the movie into production as soon as possible, however refraining from announcing any dates yet.