Desert Warrior, an upcoming historical action drama billed as the first Hollywood-style feature shot wholly in Saudi Arabia, is finally set to premiere, four years after being filmed. Made for a reported $150m with a cast led by Captain America star Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart and Ben Kingsley, the feature is set to receive its world premiere as a gala screening at Zurich Film Festival.

The film was the first to shoot at NEOM, Saudi’s megacity project. After prepping in late-2020, production shut down for four months because of Covid, before picking up again in June 2021, and then shooting for 81 days from September through to Christmas.

Hoped to serve as a showcase for the striking locations and state-of-the-art facilities being built at NEOM, the release of the film has been dogged by reports of creative differences, which saw Wyatt removed from the project but later reinstated by MBC.

This project was supported by the Saudi Film Commission through its cash rebate scheme and by the Quality of Life Program, a Saudi government initiative that aims to boost tourism and entertainment infrastructure as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 programme.

It is set to premiere on September 28 in Zurich wit the film’s talent in attendance, according to a statement from MBC Studios.

Read the full story at Screen Daily