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10 Pressing Questions for Internet Star Omar Parker Ahead of His First Feature Film
With a decade-long career in content creation and digital storytelling, Omar Parker is stepping behind the camera in a new way: directing his first feature film. Best known for his work online blending humor, insight, and cinematic flair Parker is now taking on one of the most ambitious genres imaginable: the historical epic. We caught up with him during a scouting trip in Europe to talk about the journey, the inspiration, and what it takes to make the leap from the internet to the big screen.
Not really. I've been doing this in some form since 2015 producing, directing, writing, editing, it's all been part of my daily life for over a decade now. So this isn't a leap of faith; it's more like the next step in something I've been training for, consciously or unconsciously, for years. When you hit that point where you realize you've been preparing for this for a long time, it actually feels like the most natural thing in the world.
I've always been a huge fan of history and mythology. It's my favorite rabbit hole to fall into. I was deep in some research about the Phoenicians and stumbled across a Greek myth that featured a Phoenician character. That really pulled me in. I started reading everything I could about that story and realized almost no one I knew had ever heard of it. It's one of those rare tales that's dramatic, wild, cinematic. And just begging for someone to bring it into the spotlight.
You can get a preview of the story's world via The Prince, The Sister & The Serpent, which offers a glimpse into Parker's sweeping historical vision.
Definitely. Between today's technology, CGI, AI, the insane tools available to creators, along with the years of content production and set-building I've already done, I feel more than equipped. I'm not just doing this because it's 'impressive.' I genuinely love the genre. And I think there's real commercial appeal here, too, which makes it even more exciting to bring to life.
It's all of those. Audiences today are super savvy. They don't need a movie to stay in one lane. I'm a big believer in genre blending, and I think the best films don't fit neatly in a box. If I had to compare the tone to something, I'd say The Mummy from 1999 with Brendan Fraser. That movie had everything: suspense, laughs, action, even romance. And audiences loved it. If I can capture even half of that balance, I'll feel like I did my job.
I think anyone in the industry has thought about directing at some point. It's such a natural dream. For me, it wasn't always the number one goal, but when a project like this comes together, and you know the vision better than anyone else, it just makes sense to step into that role. Sometimes, the opportunity finds you.
Not particularly. This is a stylized film, and most of it is designed to be shot on studio sets. We're agile. The production can move where it needs to. Of course, I'd love to shoot in places like Crete who wouldn't? But nothing's going to stop this train. If we have to adapt, we adapt. That's part of the process.
Well, we originally planned to develop Side Quest as a show, but given how unpredictable the world's been lately, we pivoted that concept into our feature. But I was set on getting out there regardless. So I turned this summer into a scouting mission. One big side quest across Europe and the Middle East to get inspired, soak up history, and figure out what the film needs to feel real.
So far, I've been to Greece, Italy, the Vatican, France, the UK, Switzerland, Malta, and Egypt. It's been a wild ride. Each place has added something different to my perspective, and I'm definitely not done yet. This has been one of the most creatively fulfilling experiences I've ever had.
Probably Greece. It reminds me a lot of my Lebanese family the culture, the warmth, the food, the sun. But Italy is a close second. I could eat Greek and Italian food all day and be perfectly happy. Plus, the beaches, the ancient ruins, the people, there's just so much history and heart in those places. Everyone's been incredibly welcoming, and that's something I'll never forget.
Parker has been documenting much of this journey on his official Tumbleweed Instagram, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at his travels and creative process.
Honestly? I just want to make something people enjoy. If we can get it on a major streaming platform and audiences have a good time watching it llaughing, gasping, maybe even learning a thing or two then I've done what I set out to do. That's the dream. That's the win.
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