Desert Warrior will finally get its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival later this month after Deadline chronicled how creative challenges on the Saudi epic have delayed its release.
Starring Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, and Ben Kingsley, the Rupert Wyatt-directed historical feature will hold a gala screening on September 28. MBC Studios, the Saudi studio behind Desert Warrior, said the film’s “talents” will be in attendance, but did not provide more specifics.
Deadline’s deep dive on Desert Warrior last October revealed how the film encountered issues after its grueling 2021 shoot in the Saudi desert. Wyatt exited and then returned to the project amid creative fissures, including wrangling over the movie’s tone, pacing, and length.
A screen test revealed Desert Warrior’s disconnect with audiences and a handful of major U.S. studios were unconvinced about an earlier version of the movie. Deeper questions were asked about Western creatives being entrusted with a historical story about the Middle East, while buyers raised concerns about the movie’s optics after the October 7 attack on Israel.
MBC and producers have remained confident in Saudi Arabia’s big cinema swing, telling Deadline that the film would be ready for release this year. The Zurich premiere shows they have made good on this promise.
In a statement last year, MBC said it holds “great pride and enthusiasm” for Desert Warrior. “The amount of hard work, creativity, and passion poured into this project is truly commendable, and it reflects in the quality of the film,” a spokesperson added.
Desert Warrior is the story of a pre-Islamic battle between Arab tribes and the Persian-Sasanian Empire in what is now southern Iraq. It follows Arabian Princess Hind (Hart), who refuses to become the concubine of evil Emperor Kisra (Kingsley).
After escaping into the unforgiving desert, Hind puts her trust in the mysterious Bandit (Mackie) as she rallies fractious tribes to take on Kisra’s enormous army. The climactic battle has been flatteringly compared to the epic Pelennor Fields confrontation in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Desert Warrior is produced by Jeremy Bolt (Resident Evil) of JB Pictures. AGC International, the international sales and distribution arm of AGC Studios, is handling worldwide sales.
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