As I continue to expand the scope of WM Studios by attaching each project with a creative partner, I wanted to unveil a pair of related projects that I have been working on for a few years.

First up, my fourth book, Empire Interrupted: Iran, Land of Paradox which includes some of the themes I have covered extensively on Iran’s history, leaders, culture, sociology, psychology and much more.

Second, the prestige scripted series The Peacock Throne, which looks at the life of Mohammad Reza Shah, the late Shah of Iran, with season one focused on the period from 1941 (when his father Reza Shah abdicated to preserve the continuity of the Pahlavi dynasty) until his marriage to Farah Diba. I have compiled tons of information, season arcs, episode breakdowns, but those are more roadmaps and not rigid blueprints as I realize this project requires the right showrunner.


After fruitful meetings in the Golden State (for WatchMojo, the Expos dossier, and of course, WM Studios projects), I’ve started identifying potential directors and showrunners who could help bring this story to life.

My preliminary research suggests the following may be strong creative fits:
Iranian / Iranian-origin filmmakers:
Ana Lily Amirpour
Ali Abbasi
Babak Anvari
Ramin Bahrani
Nima Nourizadeh
Sina Ataeian Dena

Canadian / Iranian-Canadian voices (especially interested here):
Nima Nourizadeh
Ramin Bahrani
(also very open to discovering/emerging Iranian-Canadian talent)

Showrunner / creator comps (tone & structure):
Peter Morgan (The Crown)
Jesse Armstrong (Succession)
Beau Willimon (House of Cards)

I’ll readily admit I’m not deeply familiar with all of their work—this is an initial directional pass—so I would greatly value feedback, additional suggestions, and perspectives (particularly Iranian and Iranian-Canadian voices).

I’d also welcome casting ideas for the key roles:
Mohammad Reza Shah, aka Aryamehr
Reza Shah, the founder of the Pahlavi Dynasty
Mohammad Mossadegh
Fawzia
Soraya
Shahbanou Farah Diba
as well as key Western political and intelligence figures.

Appreciate any thoughtful input as this evolves from concept to execution. You can leave in the replies, DM or email me at ash at watchmojo dot com.