Saudi-backed 'Desert Warrior' grosses just $472K on a $150M budget in historic box office disaster
The Saudi-backed film 'Desert Warrior,' produced with a $150 million budget, earned only $472,000 in its opening week, averaging $467 per theater and receiving poor audience reviews. This box office failure adds to the challenges facing Saudi investment initiatives, particularly after the Public Investment Fund announced a withdrawal from LIV Golf. The underperformance may signal a shift in the kingdom's strategy to fund global entertainment and sports ventures for economic diversification.
- ▪Desert Warrior grossed $472,000 in its opening week against a $150 million budget, making it one of the biggest box office failures in history.
- ▪The film received a 2.1/10 rating on IMDb and averaged just $467 per theater during its opening weekend.
- ▪Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which financed the film, is also withdrawing funding from LIV Golf after investing over $5 billion to compete with the PGA Tour.
- ▪The PIF’s broader strategy has included investments in entertainment, sports, and infrastructure projects like Qiddiya City to diversify the Saudi economy.
- ▪The poor performance of Desert Warrior may lead to a reassessment of Saudi Arabia’s investments in Hollywood and global media ventures.
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OutKick Saudi-backed 'Desert Warrior' grosses just $472K on a $150M budget in historic box office disaster The film averaged just $467 per theater with a 2.1/10 on IMDb in its opening week in theaters By Ian Miller OutKick Published May 1, 2026 7:44am EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund walking away from LIV Golf Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is withdrawing billions from LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season, casting a shadow over the upstart golf league's future. Greg Palkot reports that the PIF had invested over $5 billion to rival the PGA Tour, attracting top players like Phil Mickelson.
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