Desert Warrior, with a budget of around $150m, is not only the biggest international movie to film in Saudi Arabia — it is also a test of the production capabilities of the planned smart-city of Neom.
The feature has been six years in the making: producer Jeremy Bolt took the idea to UK director Rupert Wyatt in 2019. It was prepped in late 2020, when Neom’s production facilities Media Village and Bajdah were getting up and running. The pandemic delayed production until June 2021, and an 81-day shoot took place from September to late December, with further pick-ups in February 2023.
Production was initially based in Dubai, with Bolt and Wyatt scouting locations from Jordan to Saudi Arabia and the UAE before realising that one central hub suited their needs, particularly in terms of establishing a Covid-compliant set. The 600-strong production team set up base 40 minutes from their hotel in Tabuk, taking 4x4s to film in the Neom region’s deserts with its mix of rocky, red, coloured and flat sands.
Setting standards
It was the first US film to shoot in Neom, which is situated in the northwest Saudi province of Tabuk, near the Jordanian border and has ambitions to become a major shooting hub. Local crews received an insight into standards of world-class filmmaking as they worked side-by-side with international professionals.
“It had amazing infrastructure for living but not for filmmaking. There was no filmmaking infrastructure there at the time,” says Wyatt, whose credits include 2011’s Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes and TV series The Mosquito Coast. “That has now changed. The idea was for us to plant our flag there, build everything from scratch and stay in this one place.”
AGC Studios produced the film with Bolt’s JB Pictures, in partnership with MBC Studios, the in-house production arm of regional media and entertainment giant MBC Group. Ali Jaafar, MBC Studios’ head of films and global stories, highlights the importance of a production of this scale not just in Neom but to Saudi Arabia. It builds on the filming of 2023 release Kandahar in AlUla and Travellers’ Hell, which shot this year in Abha in the south of the country.
“This was a strategic decision to kickstart building a sustainable film industry in Saudi Arabia,” says Jaafar. “It is part of MBC’s national contribution to the continued development and growth of a diverse creative industry in Saudi.”
Desert Warrior is set amid the rival feuding tribes of an imaginary seventh-century Arabia. Aiysha Hart, whose credits include Mogul Mowgli and UK TV comedy We Are Lady Parts, stars as a princess who teams up with a mysterious bandit, played by Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Brave New World), against power-hungry Sassanid Emperor Kisra, portrayed by Ben Kingsley.
“The film represents a concerted attempt to tell a local Arab story in an authentic way but on a global scale,” says Jaafar. “It will hopefully show that Arab stories can find audiences far beyond Saudi’s borders.”
He adds that finding “world-class” filmmaking talent was a deal-breaker on a project of this scale. As well as directing, Wyatt co-wrote the screenplay with Erica Beeney, David Self and Gary Ross, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Big and Seabiscuit.
“Rupert has had success at the highest level and has an infectious passion for this story, and Saudi Arabia in general,” says Jaafar.
The making of Desert Warrior was a hands-on learning experience for Saudi crew members. By working side by side with international professionals, local talent gained invaluable skills and insight into world-class filmmaking standards.
The production received financial support through Saudi’s national 40% cash rebate, which Neom enhanced with additional backing. Crew came from more than 100 countries, with equipment sourced mostly from the UK and US plus regional centres such as Dubai and Jordan.
AGC International presented Desert Warrior to global buyers at the American Film Market in November, following its world premiere at Zurich Film Festival, and is in active talks with several US buyers. The regional premiere took place on December 6 at Red Sea International Film Festival, ahead of a Saudi Arabia rollout after Eid (March 19-20).
Contact: Saudi Film Commission
Find out more: film.moc.gov.sa/en
