Ramy Youssef’s first feature film as director is taking shape, with Amanda Seyfried joining him and Sharon Stone in the cast of Martha & Muhammad.
The Egyptian-American comedian will also write and star in the A24 comedy, with Seyfried’s involvement reported by Deadline. The project brings together several of Youssef’s long-standing collaborators, including The Bear creator Christopher Storer, alongside Uncut Gems and Marty Supreme filmmaker Josh Safdie.
Youssef has already built a directing career through his own series, Ramy, and The Bear. His move into feature filmmaking follows years developing stories about faith, family and the contradictions of Muslim-American life – subjects that also feature in the new film’s reported premise.
Here is what we know so far.
What is Martha & Muhammad about?
The comedy follows a white, widowed New York socialite who develops a relationship with a younger Muslim man, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the project in August.
The story will reportedly explore class, religion, immigration and the couple’s age difference. A24 has not commented on those details and a full official synopsis has yet to be released.
Who is in the cast?
Youssef and Stone were the first stars attached, with Seyfried the latest addition. Details of Seyfried’s character have not been disclosed.
Stone is best known for films including Basic Instinct and Casino, while Seyfried’s recent work includes the thriller The Housemaid, opposite Sydney Sweeney, and the title role in the musical The Testament of Ann Lee.
Supporting characters are also beginning to emerge through casting notices. Backstage reported this month that the production was seeking actors to play Mamadou, a Muslim immigrant and close friend of Muhammad, and Amina, Mamadou’s cousin and a lawyer who handles immigration cases. Casting for those roles has not been announced.
What has Ramy Youssef directed before?
Youssef’s work behind the camera includes episodes of Ramy, the series in which he plays a young Egyptian-American navigating his religious beliefs, relationships and family expectations. He also directed Honeydew, the Copenhagen-set episode of The Bear’s second season, earning an Emmy directing nomination in 2024.
That episode follows pastry chef Marcus, played by Lionel Boyce, as he travels to Denmark to develop his skills while worrying about his seriously ill mother back in Chicago.
In a 2024 interview with The National, Boyce described walking around Copenhagen with Youssef to discuss Marcus’s relationships. Their preparation helped shape an episode in which the pleasure of discovering a new city is accompanied by the persistent fear of bad news from home.
“Ramy was really thoughtful about crafting that. He’s such a team player, always there to support us all,” Boyce said.
Youssef has also spoken about the influence of Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos, with whom he worked as an actor. In a 2024 GQ interview, he said Lanthimos had encouraged him to make films, and described his long-standing interest in spending more time within a single, self-contained story.
Who is producing the film?
A24 is financing the project, with Youssef producing through his company Cairo Cowboy. The producing team also includes Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie through Central, and Christopher Storer and Tyson Bidner through American Light & Fixture.
The film extends Youssef’s relationship with A24, which has worked with him on Ramy and his stand-up specials. Cairo Cowboy and A24 also collaborated on #1 Happy Family USA, the animated series he co-created with Pam Brady about a Muslim-American family navigating life after September 11.
When will Martha & Muhammad be released?
A24 has not announced a release date. The production is recruiting supporting actors for work in New York City between November 23 and January 20, according to the casting notice reported by Backstage.
Those dates indicate the anticipated work period for the advertised roles, rather than a confirmed schedule for the entire shoot.