Saudi Arabia’s first Hollywood-style tent pole film, Desert Warrior, is set to finally bow after a long pregnancy at the world premiere of the Zurich Film Festival on September 28th.
The epic period, with a $150 million budget of $150 million, features a leading international cast led by British director Rupert Wyatt (The Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and led by Captain America stars Anthony Mackie, Ben Kingsley and Aisha Hart (Mogul Mougle, Collett).
According to the statement, film talent will be participating in the Zurichgala.
Filmed in 2021 in a scenic desert area around the neom “Desert Warriors” site set in pre-Islamic 7th century Arabia, where the Saudi Arabia was made up of rivals, and ever since then they have been held responsible for the tribe forever and caught up in a seemingly endless, endless Tempest.
The magnificent Emperor Kisla (Kingsley) has a reputation for being totally ruthless. Therefore, when the Arabian Princess (Hart) refuses to become Kisla’s concubine, the setting is set for an epic conflict after fleeing into the desert and placing his trust in a mysterious bandit (Mackie) who has gathered the tribes who have fought previously to steal Kisla’s huge army.
Produced by Saudi Arabian Powerhouse MBC Studios with US producer Jeremy Bolt (“Resident Evil”) and Stuart Ford’s AGC studio, “Desert Warrior” is touted as evidence of the Saudi ambition to produce high-end content for a global audience.
In the post-shooting turbulence, Rupert Wyatt was removed from the project by MBC, but later recovered in the project.
The blockbuster is supported by the Saudi Arabian Film Commission through a country’s cash rebate that supports both Saudi Arabia and international film productions, through so-called quality of life programs that contribute to the future development of the Saudi film industry.
AGC International, the international sales and distribution division of AGC Studios, handles global sales.
