Ashley Walters to direct female jockey story ‘Khadijah’ for Fable Pictures

EXCLUSIVE: Ashley Walters has signed on to direct UK feature film Khadijah, inspired by the true story of Khadijah Mellah, a teenager from Peckham, south London, who became the first Muslim woman ever to win a British competitive horse race.

The film will be Walters’ second directorial feature after Animol, which will launch in 2026. 

Khadijah was originated by Faye Ward, Hannah Farrell and Hannah Price of the UK’s Fable Pictures, who will all produce the title. Faryal Velmi and Nathaniel Price are writing the script, with the film looking to shoot next year.

Mellah won the amateur Magnolia Cup race in 2019 at the age of 18. The jockey has since set up the Riding a Dream Academy, which helps people from diverse backgrounds to get involved with horses.

Walters, known for acting roles from Top Boy to Adolescence, started directing with the 2021 short Boys.

“For me, Khadijah’s journey is about far more than a horse-riding competition – it’s about what she represents for young, marginalised Black and brown girls everywhere,” said Walters. “As a filmmaker, I see my role as helping to move the world forward, using the power of media to shift perception and possibility. We can only be what we see, and Khadijah embodies that truth. This film isn’t just her story – it’s a story for everyone.”

“We couldn’t be more excited about this film and about Ashley coming on board to bring it to life,” said a statement from Ward, Farrell and Price. “At Fable, we always feel passionately drawn to stories about the underdog, the unlikely hero, and push hard to bring these life-affirming stories to the masses. Everything about Khadijah’s story embodies this, and we are particularly excited to continue our long-term collaboration with Nathaniel in bringing Khadijah’s triumph to the screen.

“It’s a powerful, cinematic journey of courage, ambition, and self-belief and from the moment we heard it, we knew it had all the ingredients of a truly special film with huge cinematic ambition.”

“It is very rare and unusual for a young Muslim woman to have the opportunity to tell any story on such a large scale, let alone an uplifting motivational story,” said Mellah, who is consulting on the project. “I’m very excited at the prospect of this film being made and the impact it will have on the world.”

Fable’s credits include Mr Loverman, Rocks, Wild Rose and Stan & Ollie. Ward first worked with Walters as an actor when she produced the 2009 four-part mini series Small Island.

Walters was named a Screen UK-Ireland Star of Tomorrow in the programme’s first edition in 2004.

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