“Cinemagoers don’t have the appetite for a film about a desert war in the middle of a literal desert war,” remarked an industry observer, reflecting on the disastrous opening weekend of Desert Warrior. The film, which features Anthony Mackie and Ben Kingsley, opened to a meager $596,000 across 1,010 screens in the United States on April 24, 2026.
The production budget for Desert Warrior was a staggering $150 million. Yet, it averaged just $590 per screen domestically during its debut. In Saudi Arabia, the film earned only $87,000 from 6,100 admissions, ranking eighth at the local box office.
This lackluster performance raises critical questions about Saudi Arabia’s ambitions in blockbuster filmmaking. The film’s release came amid ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East—an unfortunate backdrop that may have influenced audience interest. Critics were not kind either; Desert Warrior holds a dismal 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film’s journey to theaters was fraught with challenges. It endured five years of production delays and creative disagreements. Many insiders believed MBC Group would ultimately choose to dump it straight to streaming rather than risk a theatrical release.
Despite considerable marketing efforts, audience testing of an unfinished version in July 2023 yielded negative feedback. Distribution executive comments suggest confusion over the film’s target demographic: “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 Saudi cinema can truly carve out its own identity.
As discussions continue about the future of cinematic endeavors in the region, one thing remains clear: Desert Warrior‘s catastrophic box office performance may hinder further investments in similar projects.