The historical epic Desert Warrior arrived in North American theaters on April 24, 2026. It had a famous star in Anthony Mackie, an acclaimed director in Rupert Wyatt, and a budget that topped 150 million. Saudi Arabia built this film to launch its national film industry on the global stage. But when the numbers came in, the results were devastating.

The plot is that Princess Hind, played by Aiysha Hart, refuses to become a concubine to the ruthless Emperor Kisra, played by Ben Kingsley. Hunted by a mercenary named Jalabzeen, played by Sharlto Copley, she flees into the desert with her father.

There, she enlists the help of a legendary bandit played by Anthony Mackie.

The story is loosely based on real tribes and historical events. Visually, the film is stunning. The team used 12,500 extras and shot in the vast deserts of NEOM and Tabuk.

The movie made just 487,848 across over 1,000 screens. That works out to a per-screen average of only 483.  The budget is the main reason Desert Warrior will be remembered as a historic failure.

The film originally had a planned budget of about 70 million. But the COVID-19 pandemic drove costs higher, and the budget ballooned to a staggering 150 million. Some reports suggest the final price tag might have climbed even higher.

To break even, the movie would need to earn roughly 375 million worldwide. At its current pace, it will be lucky to clear 3 million in the United States.

Read the full story at High On Films