(Image source: Vertical)
Rupert Wyatt, director of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," saw his original epic "Desert Warrior"—a film with a staggering $150 million budget—open in over 1,000 North American theaters last weekend. However, its debut box office performance was a mere $472,000. This abysmal figure virtually guarantees that "Desert Warrior" will result in a massive financial loss, a outcome that, in hindsight, seemed all too predictable.
(Image source: Vertical)
"Desert Warrior" actually wrapped production back in 2022, but its post-production phase proved unusually protracted. Wyatt himself reportedly exited the project at one point due to creative differences, causing repeated delays in its completion. The film only secured a distributor in February of this year, with a trailer hastily released in mid-March. This extremely brief promotional window offered no opportunity to build audience anticipation, effectively dooming the film to a quiet release and an unspoken death sentence.
Beyond its box office collapse, "Desert Warrior" has also been met with scathing reviews. Its current IMDb rating stands at a dismal 2.0, and the film holds a mere 27% average critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience scores, however, are significantly higher, registering at 63%.
Wyatt directed "Desert Warrior" from a screenplay he co-wrote with Erica Beeney, his collaborator on "Captive State," David Self, one of the screenwriters for "The Wolfman," and Gary Ross, director of "The Hunger Games." The ensemble cast features Anthony Mackie, Sharlto Copley, and Ben Kingsley, among others.
The official synopsis describes a princess who defies a tyrannical emperor and flees into the Arabian Desert, pursued relentlessly by mercenaries. Through rigorous training, the princess is ultimately forged into a warrior in the desert. With the aid of a legendary thief, she unites warring tribes to launch a desperate battle against the tyrant, a conflict that promises to rewrite history.