The newest entry in Universal's hugely successful DVD Originals offerings, The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian commenced principal photography in Capetown, South Africa on October 1, 2007. Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family Productions is co-producing with Film Afrika and ApolloMovie. Universal Studios Home Entertainment is distributing the all-new epic adventure, which expands the line's presence into the live-action adventure arena for the first time. The film is slated for release on DVD in 2008.

The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian is the thrilling prequel to "The Scorpion King," the action blockbuster that starred Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as Mathayus, the fearsome warrior king of an ancient desert empire. The new film, a heroic tale of loyalty and betrayal filled with heart-stopping action and thrilling visual effects, tells the story of how the young Mathayus rose to become the Scorpion King. Shot entirely in South Africa, this entertaining blend of myth, magic and muscle is directed by Russell Mulcahy (Resident Evil: Extinction) and stars Michael Copon (Beyond the Break) as the young hero Mathayus, Simon Quarterman (Murder Rooms) as the wily Ari, Karen David (The Colour of Magic) as the beautiful Layla, Ralf Moeller (Pathfinder) as the fierce warrior Pollux, and current six-time Ultimate Fighting Championship king Randy Couture (Invincible), holder of three heavyweight and three light heavyweight titles, as the charismatic and powerful villain Sargon.

"The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian is by far our most ambitious DVD Originals production ever in terms of the scope and quality of the sets, visual effects, fight sequences and stunt work," said Glenn Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family Productions. "Because of the remarkable success of the DVD Originals product line, we are committed to producing a diverse slate of films based on proven franchises to help satisfy the growing demand for high quality entertainment on DVD."

The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian is written by Randall McCormick (Speed 2: Cruise Control). David Wicht, Thomas Becker and Jorg Westerkamp are co-producers and Sean Daniels and Jim Jacks (both of The Mummy and The Scorpion King) are the executive producers. The film's production team includes director of photography Glynn Speekaert, production designer Tom Hannam, editor John Gilbert and costume designer Diana Cilliers.

The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian tells the story of the teenage warrior Mathayus and his quest for justice and honor against the evil and powerful King Sargon.

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior was released August 19th, 2008 and stars Michael Copon, Karen Shenaz David, Simon Quarterman, Tom Wu, Andreas Wisniewski, Randy Couture, Natalie Becker, Jeremy Crutchley. The film is directed by Russell Mulcahy.