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Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla Continues to Attract More Int’l, Local Productions

Film AlUla provides a package of services that attract many filmmakers from around the world.
Film AlUla provides a package of services that attract many filmmakers from around the world.
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Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla Continues to Attract More Int’l, Local Productions

Film AlUla provides a package of services that attract many filmmakers from around the world.
Film AlUla provides a package of services that attract many filmmakers from around the world.

Film AlUla, the film commission located in Saudi Arabia’s northwestern governorate of AlUla, is continuing to attract more international and local movie and television productions.

Film AlUla had tremendous success filming scenes of the American movie, “Cherry”, which was the first Hollywood movie by two world-class directors, Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame) to shoot scenes in Saudi Arabia and the debut accomplishment for Film Alula. The scenes for “Cherry” were shot in the capital, Riyadh, in cooperation with Saudi Aramco, as well as multiple locations in AlUla.

Since Saudi Arabia started issuing tourist visas around the world, it has been visited by movie and television production companies that are exploring shooting in AlUla and all throughout the country. With incredible untapped locations, it is a unique and historic location to film.

Recently, another Hollywood production signed a joint agreement with Film AlUla to shoot in the province that is to be directed, produced and starring some of the brightest Hollywood stars. In additional to the increase of international productions, Film AlUla continues to support and build local productions.

Amongst the many local projects to announce, it will support the filming of two Saudi films, namely “Bayn Al-Rimal” (Between the Sand) by Muhammad Al-Atawi and “Noura” by Tawfiq Al-Zaidi, which won Daw' (Light) Film Competition. Film AlUla, a department of the Royal Commission for AlUla, will finance the two films, and provide and coordinate all the filming requirements in AlUla.

The Film Commission was established within 11 cultural commissions in February 2020 and whose Board of Directors is chaired by the Minister of Culture. It is responsible for developing and supporting the film sector in the Kingdom and encouraging individuals, institutions and companies to produce and develop content, among other responsibilities.

To attract international filmmakers, the administration of Film AlUla counts on the governorate’s attraction sites that position it among the best filming locations in the world. This is to implement their vision of leading the creative industries in the Kingdom, establish AlUla as international filming and content destination, and create a film infrastructure in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Film AlUla provides a package of services that attract many filmmakers from around the world. This includes an already established team of film experts in AlUla to help facilitate the production of international films and building a suitable ecosystem for filmmaking. It handles the issuing of film crew visas, securing ground and air transportation and accommodations between Riyadh and AlUla, granting permits, facilitating the import and export of camera equipment and other production equipment, the information and relationships to help crew productions, and so much more.

In addition to its heritage and cultural depth dating back to more than 200,000 years of human history and 7,000 years of successive civilizations, AlUla has a unique diversity of terrains extending over more than 22,500 km of charming valleys, in which sandstones coexist with black volcanic rocks and amazing rock formations created by wind and water over millions of years. The governorate’s villages, farms, and cities with their old and modern buildings and hotel infrastructures offer a variety of options for filmmakers.

Film AlUla works to support and stimulate local film productions, in partnership with government agencies, based on the Royal Commission’s endeavor to contribute to the realization of Saudi Vision 2030 and empower national talents in the film industry.

Through their strategic partnership, the Film Commission and Film AlUla administration seek to create and develop a sustainable film sector in northwestern Saudi Arabia by facilitating internal investment, attracting international and regional films, television shows and documentaries for filming in AlUla, as well as developing local and regional businesses to serve the film sector. This is in addition to employing and training local talents, creating job opportunities in the film sector, and establishing an industrial value chain throughout the area as part of the filmmaking ecosystem.

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‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ Make Gravity-Defying Theater Debuts

People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ Make Gravity-Defying Theater Debuts

People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)
People wait to watch a screening of the film "Wicked" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, November 23, 2024. (Reuters)

With a combined $270 million in worldwide ticket sales, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” breathed fresh life into a box office that has struggled lately, leading to one of the busiest moviegoing weekends of the year.

Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates Sunday. That made it the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind only “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2.” It’s also a record for a Broadway musical adaptation.

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original, launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. With a price tag of around $250 million to produce it, “Gladiator II” was a big bet by Paramount Pictures to return to the Coliseum with a largely new cast, led by Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal. While it opened with a touch less than the $60 million predicted in domestic ticket sales, “Gladiator II” has performed well overseas. It added $50.5 million internationally.

Going into the weekend, box office was down about 11% from last year and some 25% from pre-pandemic times. That meant this week's two headline films led a much-needed resurgence for theaters. With “Moana 2” releasing Wednesday, Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“This weekend’s two strong openers are invigorating a box office that fell apart after a good summer,” said David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment.

The collision of the two movies led to some echoes of the “Barbenheimer” effect of last year, when “Barbie" and “Oppenheimer” launched simultaneously. The nickname this time, “Glicked,” wasn’t quite as catchy and the cultural imprint was also notably less. Few people sought out a double feature this time. The domestic grosses in 2023 – $162 million for “Barbie” and $82 million for “Oppenheimer” – were also higher.

But the counter-programming effect was still potent for “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” which likewise split broadly along gender lines. And it was again the female-leaning release – “Wicked,” like “Barbie” before it – that easily won the weekend. About 72% of ticket buyers for “Wicked” were female, while 61% of those seeing “Gladiator II” were male.

And while “Barbenheimer” benefitted enormously from meme-spread word-of-mouth, both “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” leaned on all-out marketing blitzes.

Both movies pulled out all the stops in global advertising campaigns that spanned everything from “Wicked” Mattel dolls (some of which led to an awkward recall) to an Airbnb cross-promotion with the actual Colosseum in Rome. For “Gladiator II,” Paramount even took the unusual step of simultaneously running a one-minute trailer on more than 4,000 TV networks, radio station and digital platforms.

Though “Wicked” will face some direct competition from “Moana 2,” it would seem to be better set up for a long and lucrative run in theaters. Even at 2 hours and 40 minutes, the film has had mostly stellar reviews. Audiences gave it an “A” on CinemaScore. The reception for “Wicked” has been strong enough that Oscar prognosticators expect it to be a contender for best picture at the Academy Awards, among other categories.

Producers, perhaps sensing a hit, also took the step of splitting “Wicked” in two. Part two, already filmed, is due out next November. Each “Wicked” installation cost around $150 million to make.

“Gladiator II” has also enjoyed good reviews, particularly for Washington's charismatic performance. Audience scores, though, were weaker, with ticket buyers giving it a “B” on CinemaScore. “Gladiator II” will make up for some of that, however, with robust international sales. It launched in many overseas markets a week ago, earning $87 million before landing in North America.