Following six years of behind-the-scenes chaos, “Desert Warrior,” which carries a staggering $150M budget, was released by Vertical last weekend.
Did we ever expect “Desert Warrior” to become a major 2026 blockbuster? The cast does include an Avenger, Anthony Mackie, along with direction from Rupert Wyatt. The ensemble also features Ben Kingsley and Sharlto Copley. Regardless, this is shaping up to be the biggest bomb of the year—a catastrophic flop—earning just $472,000 in its U.S. opening weekend, despite playing in over 1,000 theaters nationwide. That amounts to a dismal $187 per-theater average. The film’s reception has been extremely negative, reflected in an IMDb score of 1.9/10—worse than “Cats.” It currently sits at 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Where to begin with “Desert Warrior”? A Saudi-backed, anti-Persian epic featuring a cast who were likely offered royal paychecks to take part in the endeavor.
Presumably directed by Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), this historical spectacle has been plagued by creative headaches, along with more than a few existential questions about who should be telling this story. It’s honestly surprising that Wyatt chose to retain his director’s credit.
The project is primarily backed by Saudi Arabia, marking it as the kingdom’s most ambitious cinematic undertaking to date. It’s considered the Gulf country’s first major Hollywood-style tentpole film. The production, shot in 2021, was originally budgeted at around $70M, but nearly doubled due to a variety of issues.
Last October, a deep dive detailed the chaos: Wyatt reportedly walked off over disputes involving tone, pacing, and runtime; test screenings revealed a disconnect with audiences; and U.S. studios were said to be uneasy about a Western creative team handling a pre-Islamic Middle Eastern epic. Wyatt ultimately exited the film in April 2023. Editor Kelley Dixon, known for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” was brought in to rework the cut, adding dialogue and reshaping Wyatt’s original vision.
“Desert Warrior” tells the story of Arabian Princess Hind (Hart), who refuses to become the concubine of the tyrannical Emperor Kisra (Kingsley). Escaping into the unforgiving desert, she enlists the help of a mysterious Bandit (Mackie) to rally fractured tribes against Kisra’s massive army. The climactic battle has been compared by the film’s team to the Pelennor Fields siege in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”—a comparison that may raise eyebrows, but ambition is always something to strive for.
Suffice it to say, after years of creative turbulence, “Desert Warrior” has emerged as a full-blown disaster, and one has to wonder what price Vertical paid to acquire it.
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