Overview
- The $150 million film, which hit U.S. theaters Friday, draws praise for sweeping desert vistas and a mammoth climactic battle staged with thousands of extras.
- Reviewers from outlets like The Hollywood Reporter, The A.V. Club, and JoBlo fault thin character work, clichéd dialogue, and a generic script despite the spectacle.
- Shot in 2021 largely around Saudi Arabia’s Neom, the production doubled as a showcase and a training ground for local crews tied to MBC Studios.
- Post-production proved rocky after director Rupert Wyatt was sidelined from editing before returning to re-cut a version that screened at the Zurich Film Festival and later landed U.S. distribution in February.
- Aiysha Hart leads as Princess Hind with Anthony Mackie in a prominent supporting role, and the movie’s financial stakes are high given estimates that it must gross about $300 million to break even.