Sometimes, a comedy film doesn&rsquo;t land when it first hits cinemas. Maybe the story feels too quirky, the jokes are a little offbeat, or the timing just wasn&rsquo;t right. But in Egypt, a box office flop doesn&rsquo;t always mean failure &mdash; it can mark the beginning of a second life on television.
Here are three comedy films that didn&rsquo;t draw crowds in theatres, but became fan favourites once they hit TV screens.
&ldquo;El Hassa El Sabaa&rdquo; (2005) It didn&rsquo;t break records when it first came out, but over time, &ldquo;El Hassa El Sabaa&rdquo; became iconic. Directed by Ahmed Mekky and starring Ahmed El Fishawy and Rania El Kordy, the film gave us unforgettable one-liners, chaotic characters and Yahia El Masry&rsquo;s legendary moves.
Now, 20 years later, fans are still quoting it &mdash; and it&rsquo;s even getting a cinema re-release to celebrate its anniversary. Proof that real comedy doesn&rsquo;t expire.
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&ldquo;Hamlet Freezer&rdquo; (2016) Let&rsquo;s be honest: if you&rsquo;re a fan of &ldquo;Hamlet Freezer,&rdquo; you&rsquo;re probably counting the days until &ldquo;El Gazira 9.&rdquo; While it didn&rsquo;t make much noise at the box office, the film has since become a cult classic, especially among fans of Hesham Maged and Chico.
Its futuristic setting, wild plot, and quotable lines found new life on TikTok, where clips began going viral years after its release &mdash; often with people lip-syncing scenes before they&rsquo;d even watched the full movie.
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&ldquo;Bank El Haz&rdquo; (2017) Akram Hosny, Mohamed Mamdouh and Mohamed Tharwat formed one of the funniest trios in recent Egyptian cinema with &ldquo;Bank El Haz.&rdquo; Audiences loved its dark humour, get-rich-quick schemes, and moments of perfectly executed chaos.
Director Ahmed El Gendy recently confirmed a sequel is in the works &mdash; and fans are already excited.
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At the End of the Day&hellip; As these films prove, it&rsquo;s not always about opening weekend numbers. Sometimes, a second screening on TV &mdash; or even a phone screen &mdash; is all a comedy needs to find its place in pop culture.
Egyptian cinema is shaped by its audience, and often, that audience prefers to laugh at home. In recent years, comedies have taken over release calendars, reflecting what people crave most: laughter. And if anything, these films show that success may be delayed &mdash; but it still counts.
Photo Credit: Ahmed ElFishawy's official page&nbsp;

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