Saudi Media Giant MBC to Finance Gerard Butler Action Thriller 'Kandahar' (Exclusive)

While the name Haifaa Al-Mansour might not be as well known as some international filmmakers, the trailblazing director will always go down in history as the first woman to direct a feature film in Saudi Arabia, with 2012’s “Wadjda.” Obviously, due to the political and religious climate in the Middle East, women aren’t treated nearly as equal as men are, which is something Al-Mansour dives deeper into with her newest film, “The Perfect Candidate.” READ MORE: ‘The Perfect Candidate’: Haifaa

EXCLUSIVE: On Saturday, the frequencies of Fox Sports, Discovery, the BBC, ITV, and many other broadcasters will be tuned to the Empty Quarter in the Saudi Arabian desert. It’s a landscape that could be mistaken for Tatooine in the Star Wars universe, but come the weekend, it will be home to the most extreme motorsport event ever created, featuring a dazzling collection of drivers from racing worlds including Formula 1 and rallying.

Muvi Cinemas KSA, the first homegrown cinema brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, says it is on target to reach 307 screens across the country over the next 12 months. The firm added eight new multiplexes to the brand’s portfolio in 2020.

The Vice Media Group is opening an office in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The office —which The Hollywood Reporter understands is a small operation mostly focussed on commercial and business-to-business offerings —will be located in a converted warehouse in JAX, a new arts and culture district in the industrial Ad-Diriyah zone that will serve as a hub for cultural and creative industries.

Laika is expanding into the world of live-action filmmaking for the first time, with an adaptation of John Brownlow’s upcoming debut novel, Seventeen.

Another Round, Thomas Vinterberg's critically acclaimed and exceptionally boozy Danish comedy-drama that has been described as an "ode to alcohol," is set for its release across cinemas in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, a country where alcohol is strictly prohibited.

As fandom prepares for the March 18 unveiling on HBO Max of Zack Snyder's Justice League, Snyder's first comic-book movie star, Gerard Butler, looks back fondly on his breakout role in 2007's 300. "I met him for coffee in the valley," recalls Butler, now 51, of his first encounter with the director, now 55, to discuss playing King Leonidas, the musclebound alpha warrior who leads an army of 300 Spartans into battle with Xerxes.

Gerard Butler might be back together with his ex-girlfriend Morgan Brown!