Inside Saudia Arabia’s Big Cinema Swing ‘Desert Warrior,’ The Delayed $150M Historical Epic Still Being Readied For Battle
deadline.comDesert Warrior was unveiled in 2021 as a rallying cry for Saudi Arabian filmmaking.Starring Captain America’s Anthony Mackie and Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley, the $150M epic was set up by Riyadh media giant MBC to project a vision of ancient Arabia to the world, inspire a new generation of local storytellers, and entice other Hollywood blockbusters to run their hands through the Gulf’s golden sands.
A cast and crew of hundreds gathered in searing heat for the production helmed by Rupert Wyatt, the respected British director who reinvigorated 20th Century’s Planet of the Apes franchise.
Word soon spread of Wyatt’s spectacular footage and stirring turns from Mackie and Aiysha Hart, the movie’s heroine. Yet three years on from shooting in Saudia Arabia, Desert Warrior remains something of a mirage.
Crew members have been posting throwback photos on Instagram and openly speculating about whether the movie will ever see the light of day as MBC has not yet delivered on its stated ambition of a festival premiere and theatrical release.
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