Many instances, when a film bombs on the field workplace, it generates a number of consideration. Take the Melania Trump documentary “Melania,” which flopped on the field workplace earlier this 12 months in spectacular trend. However each infrequently, a large flop slips by means of the cracks when it comes to the bigger cultural dialog. That is exactly what occurred with “Desert Warrior,” which is now on monitor to develop into one of many greatest flops ever.
Starring Anthony Mackie (“Captain America: Courageous New World”) and directed by Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), “Desert Warrior” opened in North American theaters final weekend, although hardly anybody observed. It made simply $487,848 on simply over 1,000 screens, making for an abysmal $483 per-screen common. That provides it one of many worst field workplace openings of all time, nevertheless it will get a lot worse.
This film, which most individuals studying this in all probability have not even heard of, carries a monster $150 million manufacturing finances. It is also been caught in post-production hell for a number of years. As “Michael” dominated the field workplace on its opening weekend, this historic epic quietly bombed its manner into the historical past books.
The movie facilities on a princess who flees into the Arabian desert as she’s hunted by mercenaries. Cast right into a warrior and aided by a legendary bandit (Mackie), she unites warring tribes for a final stand that can alter the course of historical past. The forged additionally consists of Ben Kingsley (“Iron Man 3”), Sharlto Copley (“Monkey Man”), and Aiysha Hart (“A Discovery of Witches”).
Will Desert Warrior develop into the largest field workplace bomb ever?
To be crystal clear, this film’s failure cannot be positioned on Anthony Mackie’s shoulders, or any of the actors for that matter. Heck, for causes we’ll get into, Rupert Wyatt can solely shoulder a lot of the blame right here. It is a mess that’s far larger than anybody particular person. However earlier than we get into that, it is price discussing historic context. This is not only a large field workplace bomb. Relying on how issues shake out, this may very well be the one greatest bomb ever. On the very least, it will wind up within the dialogue, barring a miracle.
Figuring out the one greatest bomb ever is not an actual science however there are some well-known examples we will look to. “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” might be the largest field workplace bomb of all time. Starring Eddie Murphy, the failed sci-fi/comedy made simply $7.1 million worldwide on a $100 million finances. It actually does not get a lot worse than that. “Desert Warrior,” because it stands, can be very fortunate to clear $3 million domestically.
There’s additionally one other historic epic within the type of “The thirteenth Warrior,” which was a bomb for the ages, taking in lower than $62 million worldwide on a finances reported to be as excessive as $160 million. At this level, “Desert Warrior” is not going to smell a quantity that top, if the home numbers are any indication. There’s, nonetheless, a fairly main caveat.
“Desert Warrior” was a Saudi-funded manufacturing from MBC Group. It was shot in Saudi Arabia and is not Hollywood fare. When this film begins rolling out abroad, it is totally potential that audiences present up in a manner People did not. If that does not occur? Yikes.
Desert Warrior had a massively troubled manufacturing course of
So, what the hell occurred? How did “Desert Warrior” endure such a grim destiny? Vertical Leisure picked up the home rights in February, and it is a small-time distributor. It was by no means going to do large enterprise in Vertical’s arms. Have been the backers banking on it doing the overwhelming majority of its enterprise elsewhere on the earth? Maybe. Hollywood can not depend upon the Chinese language field workplace largely as a result of China is favoring homegrown titles today. Possibly one thing related will occur in Saudi Arabia.
Extra probably, that is the results of a troubled manufacturing that has been within the works for years. This film started filming in late 2021, with manufacturing wrapping in early 2022. Deadline revealed a deep-dive into the behind the scenes drama again in 2024, revealing that Rupert Wyatt walked away throughout enhancing over inventive variations, solely to return later. He’s mentioned to have needed a “nuanced” film, whereas the MBC needed one thing extra akin to “Braveheart.”
Filming itself wasn’t troubled, per se, in response to accounts. All of it fell aside in post-production, which took years to finish. Additionally, a big chunk of the $150 million finances was actually placing infrastructure in place to handle a manufacturing of this dimension. “On-set insiders say Saudi manufacturing hub Neom Media was successfully laying the infrastructure for a complete business on the finances of ‘Desert Warrior,'” the report famous.
It was an enormous manufacturing the place inventive variations obtained in the way in which, and it was minimally marketed to American audiences with a nasty reception. It is sitting at 27% on Rotten Tomatoes proper now. This film’s place within the historical past books shall be solely decided by abroad audiences within the weeks/months to come back.
