Project X, is a 2025 Egyptian action film written by Ahmed Hosny and directed by Peter Mimi. The film stars Karim Abdel Aziz, Yasmine Sabri, Eyad Nassar, and Ahmed Ghozzi. Project X was commercially released in Egypt on May 21, 2025, by Synergy Films.
Youssef El-Gammal is an archaeologist and professor at the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University. He and his wife, Dr. Shams, were engrossed in an ambitious scientific project they called Project X, aimed at uncovering a supposed secret chamber inside the Great Pyramid. However, the department administration rejected the project, leading Youssef to become enraged and assault the department head, resulting in his dismissal. Later, a mysterious organization recruited him to excavate a rare ancient papyrus. He succeeded in finding it but betrayed his employer by secretly burying it in the desert. When the organization discovered his treachery, they retaliated by bombing a pharaonic tomb where his wife was working, killing her and framing him for the crime. He ended up in a mental hospital, while his daughter, Amina, distanced herself from him, believing he was responsible for her mother's death.
At that moment, a man named Asser appears, helps Youssef escape from the hospital, and tasks him with completing Project X and reaching the secret chamber in the Great Pyramid. Youssef initially refuses, but Asser shows him a video recording proving he was outside the tomb at the time of the explosionâÂÂevidence that might exonerate him. Driven by the hope of restoring his reputation and his daughter's trust, Youssef accepts the mission and returns to his office to retrieve the project file. He then approaches his former lover, Mariam, a skilled diver, and convinces her to accompany him, telling her that the mission's success might bring his daughter back.
Youssef reveals to his companions that Shams believed the Great Pyramid of Giza was not merely a royal tomb, but was designed for a greater purpose. Their research indicates that the Egyptian King Khufu ordered the construction of a complex labyrinth of passages to protect an inner secret, and that the map of this labyrinth is engraved on a stone excavated by a Soviet expedition in the 1960s. However, the submarine transporting the stone sank in the ocean. Shams also discovers that a Vatican monk recorded the location of the sinking during a cruise ship that happened upon the incident, but his diary is preserved in the Vatican's secret archives. The team travels to Rome, and with the help of Mariam's brother, Moro, they manage, after a complex operation, to break into the archives and obtain the coordinates before evading the Italian police. The coordinates lead them to a sunken submarine off the coast of El Salvador. They are joined by Saqr, a welder specializing in underwater work. During the journey, Youssef confesses the harsh truth to Mariam that he gave Shams a mercy shot as she burned in the explosion, realizing she couldn't be saved and fearing he would die with her, leaving their daughter without a provider. After a confrontation with mafia members, the team obtains explosives and opens the sunken submarine, extracting the inscribed stone. By interpreting the inscriptions, Youssef discovers that the entrance to the secret chamber opens via a specific sound frequency.
Youssef and Asser head back to Egypt to the Great Pyramid of Giza and follow the instructions. The secret passage opens, leading them to the hidden chamber. There, Youssef finds papyri indicating that the pyramid was also built as an energy storage project. However, Asser shoots him and reveals that he is an agent for the organization that killed Shams, and that his mission is to keep the chamber's secret hidden for the benefit of major energy companies. But the movable stone door of the passage, designed for entry only, closes, crushing Asser. Youssef escapes and leaves the pyramid, sending the recording that proves his innocence to his daughter, Amina. She realizes the truth and returns to him. In the final scene, Youssef sits on the beach watching Amina and Mariam, before a black car pulls up and a mysterious man named Haroun appears, handing him a file for a new project titled "The Exodus," signaling the beginning of another adventure.
Project X was written and directed by Peter Mimi, with a screenplay co-written by Ahmed Hosny, and produced by Tamer Morsi. The film cast included Karim Abdel Aziz, Yasmine Sabri, and Eyad Nassar, alongside Ahmed Ghozzi and Essam El Sakka, with guest appearances by Maged El Kedwany, Karim Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Hana El Zahed, and Amir Karara.
Filming took place in several international locations, including Egypt, Italy, Turkey, the Vatican, and El Salvador, aiming to create an action film with an international feel. Advanced cinematic technologies such as IMAX, Dolby Atmos, 4DX, and ScreenX were utilized to provide audiences with a sophisticated visual and audio experience.