Long delayed Anthony Mackie starrer 'Desert Warrior' to be screened at Zurich Film Festival 2025

Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], September 12 : Saudi Arabia's first Hollywood-style tentpole movie, 'Desert Warrior', starring Anthony Mackie, is finally set to bow at the 21st Zurich Film Festival following a long gestation, reported Variety.

The period action epic with a hefty 150 million USD budget is helmed by British director Rupert Wyatt and features a top-notch international cast led by 'Captain America' star Mackie, Ben Kingsley and Aiysha Hart.

According to Variety, the movie was shot in 2021 in a scenic desert area around the site of the futuristic city of NEOM.

"Desert Warrior", which is set in pre-Islamic 7th-century Arabia when Saudi was made up of rival, feuding tribes forever at each other's throats, has since been caught in a seemingly endless tempest of reshoots, recuts, and infighting.

In the epic Emperor Kisra (Kingsley) has a reputation for being utterly ruthless. So when the Arabian princess Hind (Hart) refuses to become Kisra's concubine, the stage is set for an epic confrontation after she escapes into the desert and puts her trust in the mysterious Bandit (Mackie), with whom she rallies the previously warring tribes to take on Kisra's enormous army, reported Variety.

'Desert Warrior', which is produced by Saudi-owned powerhouse MBC Studios with US producer Jeremy Bolt ("Resident Evil") and Stuart Ford's AGC Studios, has been touted as a testament to Saudi Arabia's ambition to produce high-end content for global audiences.

The blockbuster is supported by the Saudi Film Commission through the country's cash rebate, which supports both Saudi and international film productions, reported Variety.

The Zurich Film Festival is set to take place from September 25 to October 5, 2025. It will be attended by numerous stars and critics.

Meanwhile, the 21st Zurich Film Festival will also honour U.S. director and screenwriter Noah Baumbach with its A Tribute To... Award for his body of work, reported Variety.

He will receive the award on September 26 during the premiere of his new film 'Jay Kelly' at Zurich's Kongresshaus.

Baumbach will also hold a public masterclass, as per the outlet.

"With Noah Baumbach, we are honouring an auteur who has shaped U.S. cinema for decades with his subtle insight into human relationships and his precise powers of observation," said Christian Jungen, Zurich's festival director, as quoted by Variety.

"Jay Kelly is, in my opinion, one of the outstanding films of the year and one of those works that, looking back, will be regarded as a masterpiece," added Jungen, as quoted by Variety.

Baumbach has been nominated for an Academy Award four times. In 2006, he was nominated for original screenplay for 'The Squid and the Whale'.

In 2020, 'Marriage Story' received six nominations, including best picture for Baumbach and David Heyman and original screenplay for Baumbach, with Laura Dern winning the Oscar for supporting actress.

In 2024, Baumbach was nominated for an adapted screenplay for 'Barbie', shared with Greta Gerwig, according to Variety.

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