In September 2021, British director Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) started principal photography in Saudi Arabia’s planned futuristic city of Neom on $150 million action epic “ Desert Warrior ,” touted as the country’s first Hollywood-style tentpole movie.

Featuring a top-notch international cast led by “Captain America” star Anthony Mackie , Ben Kingsley and Aiysha Hart (“Mogul Mowgli,” “Colette”), the 7th-century Arabia-set film revolves around a princess (Hart) who refuses to serve as concubine to a ruthless emperor (Kingsley), prompting an epic showdown called the Battle of Ze Qar. Though production was completed by February 2022, “Desert Warrior’s” journey to the big screen was just beginning.

The film — which is produced by Saudi-owned powerhouse MBC Studios

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