Anthony Mackie, Sharlto Copley, and Ben Kingsley Set to Star in Historical Epic DESERT WARRIOR
A new historical epic titled Desert Warrior has started production in Neom and Tabuk in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The movie is set in 7th Century and the cast includes Anthony Mackie, Sharlto Copley, Sir Ben Kingsley, Aiysha Hart, Ghassan Massoud, Sami Bouajila, Lamis Ammar, and Géza Röhrig. Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) is directing.
The story is set in the 7th century, “when Arabia is made up of rival, feuding tribes, disunited and forever at each other’s throats. Emperor Kisra (Kingsley) has a fearsome reputation for being utterly ruthless. But when the Arabian Princess Hind (Hart) refuses to become the emperor’s concubine, the stage is set for an epic confrontation. It is a battle that, by its conclusion, will have changed the region forever and echo throughout history.”
Escaping with her father, “King Numan (Massoud) into the vast and unforgiving desert, Hind is pursued by Kisra’s seasoned mercenary Jalabzeen and his bloodthirsty troops. Hind and her father are forced to entrust their safety to a mysterious bandit (Mackie), whose fighting prowess is second to none. The bandit harbors his own secrets, which will play a large part in deciding the fate of the battle. Hind inspires the fractious tribes to come together for one last stand and unite against an army that outnumbers them and is far better equipped.”
MBC Studios KSA General Manager Zeinab Abu Alsamh said the company “is proud to be working with such world class talent across the board on Desert Warrior; it is testament to our ambition towards producing premium content for global audiences. Desert Warrior is a tale of adventure, with a fierce female hero at the forefront of the story. We hope the story will connect with audiences of all ages worldwide. Rupert Wyatt is a visionary filmmaker, and Jeremy Bolt has already proven his mettle in steering this epic project into production. The cast is a dream come true… A mix of Arab and non-Arab talent coming together to create an unforgettable movie and highlighting the rich culture we have here.”
Producer Jeremy Bolt added, the “will give audiences a ringside seat to one of the most dramatic and consequential battles in history. Spectacular action and great bravery set against stunning mountainous desert landscapes.”
Wayne Borg, Managing Director, Media Industries at NEOM went on to say, “Attracting a production of the scale of Desert Warrior as our first feature film highlights the confidence the film industry has in our ability to deliver a seamless production experience. Our fresh and diverse locations, world-class production team and attractive incentives make NEOM a very appealing destination for screen production.”
This sounds like quite an epic production, and it sounds like it will make for a great film! I’m pretty excited to see how it turns out.
Source: Deadline