Anthony Mackie’s latest movie, Desert Warrior, is bombing hard at the box office, with the reported $150 million to $170 million historical epic opening to only $487,848 domestically.
The movie opened in around 1,000 theaters last weekend, which makes the number even worse. That comes out to a brutal per-theater average of under $500.
The overseas numbers are just as bad. According to Box Office Mojo, Desert Warrior has only opened overseas in the United Arab Emirates, where it brought in $29,660. The worldwide total currently sits at $517,508.
For a movie with a reported blockbuster-sized budget, that puts Desert Warrior in the conversation as one of the worst wide releases of all time.
Desert Warrior Collapses At The Box Office
Desert Warrior stars Anthony Mackie as Hanzala, a mysterious warrior who helps a fugitive king and princess while making an enemy of Emperor Kisra.
The movie was funded by MBC Studios and backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. It was also filmed in Neom, Saudi Arabia.
That makes the box office collapse stand out even more. Desert Warrior was clearly built as a major production, not some small release tossed into theaters with no expectations.
The movie also has a solid cast. In addition to Mackie, the film stars Ben Kingsley, Aiysha Hart, Sharlto Copley, Sami Bouajila, and Lamis Ammar.
Rupert Wyatt directed the film. Wyatt is best known for Rise of the Planet of the Apes and also worked on the excellent The Exorcist TV series.
Reviews Did Not Help
The reviews also did not give Desert Warrior much of a boost.
The movie currently has a 25% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes with 16 reviews. The Audience Score is better at 62%, but that has not translated into box office interest.
IMDb users have been even harsher, with Desert Warrior sitting at 2.1/10.
Critics generally point to the same issues: big scale and solid production values, but a dull story and forgettable execution.
The Hollywood Reporter said the movie is likely to disappear quickly, while AV Club said the story is dull and the performances are uninspired.
There were a few positive reviews, with Geek Vibes Nation, The New York Times, and The National praising the movie’s spectacle, scale, and old-school adventure feel.
Still, the overall response has been rough.
Marketing and Production issues
Reports said the Saudi-backed production faced unfinished Neom infrastructure, missing roads, extreme heat, sandstorms, COVID delays, budget overruns, post-production clashes, distribution trouble, and the challenge of bringing in crew and equipment from around the world.
The film was originally designed as Saudi Arabia’s first Hollywood-style tentpole and the first major feature shot at Neom Media, but filming started back in 2021 and the movie sat for years before finally reaching theaters.
As for the marketing, it was almost nonexistent. That’s hard to ignore when Mackie is a major Marvel actor, Twisted Metal has been a hit for Peacock, and yet most moviegoers probably had no idea Desert Warrior was even in theaters.
It raises the obvious question: after spending so much on production, did the Saudi backers simply decide they had already spent enough? Or did they fold their hand when they saw what happened with Mackie and Captain America?
The film was originally designed as Saudi Arabia’s first Hollywood-style tentpole and the first major feature shot at Neom Media, but after years of delays, it ended up looking less like a global launch and more like a quiet theatrical dump.
