Vertical have unveiled the first trailer for Rupert Wyatt’s Saudi Arabia shot epic Desert Warrior and announced it will hit U.S. screens on April 26 some five years after the production was first unveiled.
Anthony Mackie (Elevation) stars as a seventh century legendary bandit who comes to the rescue of Princess Hind (Aiysha Hart) after she refuses to become a concubine to the ruthless Emperor Kisra (Sir Ben Kingsley) and flees into the desert with her father, where she is hunted by a merciless army.
There, rising from fugitive to fearless warrior, the princess unites warring tribes for a final stand in the Battle of Dhi Qar, a clash that will change history forever.
The U.S. release comes five years after the $150M production was first announced by Saudi Arabia’s MBC Studio as a first cornerstone in the country’s ambitious strategy to become a major film and TV hub.
Mired in post-production for more than three years, with Wyatt temporarily exiting the project, Desert Warrior world premiered at the Zurich Film Festival last autumn and then played at the Red Sea Film Festival in December.
News of the U.S. release comes as Saudi Arabia’s international film and TV ambitions are under pressure due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, sparked by the joint U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran.
While the film’s production struggles have come under scrutiny, the trailer gives a taster of the Saudi Arabia’s stunning backdrops as well as its cinema ambitions.
It is produced by MBC Studios, Jeremy Bolt, and Rasha AIEmam. Vertical has U.S. and UK rights.
English (US) ·