“Cinemagoers don’t have the appetite for a film about a desert war in the middle of a literal desert war,” said an industry observer, highlighting the challenges faced by Desert Warrior, which opened to a dismal box office performance.
Released on April 24, 2026, in both the United States and Saudi Arabia, the film earned just $596,000 domestically across 1,010 screens during its opening weekend. In stark contrast, its production budget was a staggering $150 million. The film averaged only $590 per screen in the U.S., indicating a severe lack of interest.
That context matters because it underscores the hurdles facing Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning cinema industry. While Desert Warrior aimed to showcase local talent — including Anthony Mackie and Ben Kingsley — it ranked eighth at the box office in Saudi Arabia with only $87,000 generated from 6,100 admissions.
The film’s critical reception was equally troubling, with a mere 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This lackluster response followed five years of production delays and creative disagreements that plagued its development. Audience testing of an unfinished version in July 2023 produced negative feedback, raising doubts about its appeal.
Furthermore, ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East cast a shadow over its release. As one distribution executive noted, “I’m not sure who it is targeting. It looks like another big-budget Hollywood film that just happens to have been filmed in Saudi.” This sentiment reflects broader concerns about whether audiences are ready for films set against such complex backdrops.
Despite heavy marketing efforts, Desert Warrior failed to attract significant audience interest. Many insiders believed that MBC Group would opt to release it straight to streaming instead of theatrically due to its poor prospects. The film was ultimately distributed by Vertical after being acquired in February 2026.
The aftermath of this failure raises important questions: Will Saudi Arabia continue its investment in blockbuster filmmaking after this setback? As the nation seeks to build a meaningful filmmaking infrastructure within the region, the future remains uncertain.