Jason Statham Thriller ‘Shelter’ Launches at No. 1 in the Middle East, Making Him ‘Most Bankable Action Star’ in the Region

Jason Statham action-thriller “Shelter” has conquered the top box office slot in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, scoring a $2.2 million opening frame via indie distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and its partner the Kuwait National Cinema Company.

The opening weekend MENA result for the Ric Roman Waugh-directed “Shelter” — in which Statham plays a reclusive former M16 agent hiding out on a Scottish island who is forced to protect himself and a teenage girl from assassins — has outperformed the film’s first frame in several key international markets. It bested China ($2.1 million), the U.K. ($1.3 million) and scored roughly 40% of “Shelter’s” estimated $5.5 million U.S. opening result.

Saudi Arabia was the top MENA territory for “Shelter.” The film scored 34.5% of the kingdom’s total admissions and 38% of total box office revenue, meaning almost one in three Saudi moviegoers chose the film. In its first weekend, “Shelter” generated $1 million in Saudi with an average ticket price of $15.50, making it the biggest opening there for an English-language title since September, according to Front Row.

The strong “Shelter” bow in MENA “underscores the [MENA] region’s growing influence in the global theatrical landscape,” the Front Row statement noted.

Front Row also underlined Jason Statham’s “unrivaled box office power” with MENA audiences, which makes him “the most bankable action star in the region, where his films consistently outperform genre peers and major studio releases alike.”

Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra pointed out that “Jason Statham’s connection with audiences in this region is unmatched, and ‘Shelter’ reinforces his position as the defining action star for MENA.”