After a long wait, Desert Warrior, headlined by Anthony Mackie is set to have its world premiere at the upcoming Zurich Film Festival. The period action film, made with a whopping $150 million budget is the first film from Saudi Arabia to be made in this large budget.
The upcoming film is helmed by British director Rupert Wyatt, known for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), The Gambler (2014) and Captive State (2019). It features a star-studded cast consisting of Mackie along with Ben Kingsley and Aiysha Hart. A gala screening will be held on September 28, where the cast and crew will be in attendance.
The film was shot in 2021. Desert Warrior is set in a period of time when Arabia was made up of nothing more than feuding tribes. There are no nations or rules in sight, except for the fearsome Emperor Kisra (Kingsley). When a young princess (Hart) refuses to be subservient to Kisra, a battle erupts that changes the region forever. She has to trust only her father (Massound) as well as a mysterious bandit (Mackie), whose skill is second to none. The battle will decide the fate of the bandit and the royals he swears to protect.
The film has been witnessing several creative challenges since its beginning which led to its delay in release. Rupert Wyatt exited the film and was later reinstated following differences regarding the film's tone, pacing and runtime.
Desert Warrior is backed by Jeremy Bolt (Resident Evil) of JB Pictures and supported by the Saudi Film Commission.