Anthony Mackie on board Rupert Wyatt's Desert Warrior

Actor Anthony Mackie has joined the cast of the upcoming pre-Islamic epic titled Desert Warrior. The actor joins a star-studded cast that includes Aiysha Hart, Sharlto Copley, Ghassan Massoud, Sami Bouajila, Lamis Ammar, Géza Röhrig, and Sir Ben Kingsley.

The film is directed by Rupert Wyatt, who co-wrote the film’s script with Erica Beeney, David Self, and Gary Ross. 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 is currently in production in Neom and Tabuk in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mackie is coming straight from his major role in Marvel's Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which has set him up as the next Captain America.

Desert Warrior is produced by MBC Studios, JB Pictures, and AGC Studios.