Saudi Arabia’s film industry is experiencing significant growth, marking a new era in the Kingdom’s entertainment sector. According to Prince Badr Bin Abdullah, the Minister of Culture, Saudi box office sales reached an impressive 8.5 million tickets in 2024, with revenues exceeding US$112.4 million in the first half of the year alone. This surge in popularity is particularly noteworthy as Saudi movies have risen to prominence, with two of the top three titles in 2024 being local productions.
سوق صناعة السينما مزدهرة، حيث وصلت مبيعات شباك التذاكر السعودي إلى 8.5 مليون تذكرة بإيرادات تجاوزت 421.8 مليون ريال خلال النصف الأول من العام الحالي، وفيلمان سعوديان ضمن أعلى 3 أفلام مبيعاً. #رؤية_السعودية_2030
Saudi box office sales have reached 8.5 million tickets with… https://t.co/joTkWZOAm4
— بدر بن عبدالله بن فرحان آل سعود (@BadrFAlSaud) September 10, 2024
The success of Saudi cinema is part of a broader global trend of box office recovery. August marked a notable surge in the global box office, driven primarily by two major releases featuring real-life couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively: Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends With Us. The global box office grossed US$3 billion in August, pushing the year-to-date total to approximately US$21.1 billion. This narrowed the gap to the three-year average to -21%, an improvement from the -28% deficit reported at the end of May, despite the ongoing disruptions from the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, according to Gower Street’s latest Global Box Office Tracker (GBOT).
For the third month in a row, the global box office exceeded projections. The combined international (excluding China) and domestic markets generated US$2.46 billion in August, making it the second-highest month since the previous August. Although slightly below July’s $2.84 billion (-13%), this figure was still ahead of June’s US$2.4 billion (+2%).
The North American market (Domestic) stood out, surpassing the box office average for the same months in 2017-2019 by 15%. This is the highest level since the beginning of the decade and marks only the third instance where the domestic market has reached or exceeded pre-pandemic levels in any month.
The global theatrical industry enjoyed three consecutive months of increased revenue, bolstered by a more robust calendar of blockbuster releases. This resurgence brought box office performance closer to last year’s summer heights, including the addition of two films, Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine, to the top 21 all-time global box office list. Remarkably, seven of the top 21 highest-grossing films globally have been released since December 2021.
While the final four months of the past two years saw a significant drop in releases, this year, globally, promises a fuller schedule with a wider array of attractive titles such as Joker: Folie à Deux, Gladiator II, Mufasa: The Lion King, Kraven the Hunter, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, likely to lift the box office further.
As Saudi Arabia continues to invest in its burgeoning film industry and global cinema recovers from recent challenges, the outlook for the box office remains positive. The diversity of offerings, from local Saudi productions to international blockbusters, is appealing to audiences both in the Kingdom and worldwide, setting the stage for continued growth in the cinema sector.
Source: GowerStreet, X
How many action movies would you say had that one one well choreographed and epic fight scene? Here are our top five picks of the best action scenes from Hollywood!
At the core of any action film should be that one truly impressive action-sequence… one which isn’t just about the action, but so much more. The sequence itself should have a story, with elements such as timing, level of impact and how the characters embody that scene.
But what are the key ingredients at play beneath all the punches, kicks, and bloodshed?
Here are five of our favourite action sequences from Hollywood that bowl us over and leave us in awe, even today!
1. Opening Freeway Attack – Deadpool
Deadpool’s hilarious opening battle on the freeway sets the tone of the film. It works on its own as an independent action scene, but with the wit and fourth-wall shattering wisdom of Deadpool overlaying the action, it gives a fitting introduction of the movie to its audience. Deadpool also makes creative use of the vehicle’s cigarette lighter as he counts down his bullets with manic glee.
2. Superheroes Face Off – Civil War
The superhero battle at the airport in Civil War is the realization of every comic book fan’s lifelong dream. Complimented by exceptional CGI and character performances, this scene is one of the most entertaining fights ever put on film. Civil War offers a thrilling fight, where one finds themselves rooting for both sides.
3. The Bank Vault – Fast and Furious Five
The scene where Dom and Brian pull the bank vault through the streets, while using it as a weapon against crooked cops is fun, destructive, unique and thrilling – all at the same time! What makes this installment of the Fast & Furious franchise a cut above the rest is the filmmaker’s ability to successfully craft the scene in a manner where each character knows exactly how to own specific moments of that scene.
4. Jack Sparrow vs. Will Turner Sword Fight – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
There is a finesse to the sword fight scene between Jack and Will. The amalgamation of the witty banter and commendable choreography – the use of loose floorboards, improvised weapons and emphasis on every twist and reversal, complements each other and keeps audiences hooked from start to end.
5. Zero G Hallway Scene – Inception
The rotating hallway dream fight in Inception is pure creative choreography by Christopher Nolan and the team., for it is one of the few modern action sequences to rely solely on camera effects. The intense sequence which sees the actors fighting against time and gravity has us sitting on the edge of our seats, wanting more.
Action scenes might be the most exciting to watch , but they are also some of the most complicated to shoot. Capturing a fight on film requires carefully executed techniques in order to make it exhilarating, realistic, and safe for all involved. Below is a list of action films slated for release in 2021, which we believe have epic action sequences to offer:
Godzilla vs. Kong (March), Mortal Kombat (April) , Sooryavanshi (April), Fast and Furious 9 (June), Top Gun: Maverick (July), K.G.F: Chapter 2 (July), No Time To Die (October), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (November) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (December)
Contact a member of our sales team for advertising opportunities alongside these upcoming action blockbusters!
Sources: Wikipedia, YouTube, IMDB, Amex Essentials and Screen Rant
