Simon West's Antara to be shot in Saudi Arabia's Neom city 

Filmmaker Simon West, known for his film Con Air, will be shooting his upcoming project Antara in a new urban area Neom, which is being planned by Saudi Arabia in its Tabuk province.

The film is expected to be a historical drama and will be based the Arab history. Antara is inspired from the tale of slave warrior Antara ibn Shaddad, who went on to become a myth after attaining freedom and becoming a knight.

Simon was quoted as saying by Deadline report, “The life of Antara is one of those relatively little-known true stories that prove that fact can be so much stranger than fiction. The opportunity to film in the homeland of the Banu Abs tribe means we will keep true to the piece whilst helping to grow the emerging film industry in the region.”

Antara is set to go on floors in early 2024 and will continue for 12 weeks. The cast of the film have not been announced yet. The film will be based at Neom’s Bajdah Studios.

Neom Managing Director of Media Industries, Entertainment, and Culture Wayne Borg said,“They also boost our ecosystem’s development by providing unparalleled work experience opportunities for young Saudis and fast-track the development and growth of the local workforce.”