It passes Born a King, the 2020 hisotrical drama, which was released back in 2020 and sold 151,000 tickets in its months-long run.
Sattar also has dethroned Avatar: The Way of Water from the top spot its third week, selling 40% more tickets and making 32% more money (you’ve got to love those IMAX ticket prices).
Sattar only dropped 11% in its second weekend, signalling that it’s a hit that will have legs.
The film is produced by AlShimaisi Films, Telfaz11’s new production arm as well as Muvi Studios. Front Row Arabia, a joint-venture between MENA distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Saudi exhibitor Muvi Cinemas, is handling all theatrical distribution.
The film is directed by Kuwaiti filmmaker Abdullah Al Arak, and stars Saudi actor and stand-up comedian Ibrahim Al Hajjaj (known for the hit action series Rashash and Netflix’s Six Windows in the Desert” who plays Saad, a depressed man failing at both his professional and personal life who decides to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a freestyle wrestler. The dream soon turns into a nightmare when a clip of him getting beaten gets leaked in the auditions. Later he meets Ali Hogan, a famous wrestling business manager played by Abdulaziz Al Shehri, who convinces him to re-enter the world of wrestling, where he meets his Pakistani coach Abdul Khaleq, played by Ibrahim Al Khairallah, who prepares him for the biggest free wrestling championship. The film also stars Shahd Algefari in her acting debut.
“We’re beyond delighted to see the historical results that Sattar has achieved,” says Ibraheem Alkhairallah, CEO of AlShimaisi films. “It’s an honour for us to see the film become the biggest Saudi film ever and this highlights how strong Saudi cinema can be and that there is a huge appetite for Saudi-led stories. We cannot wait to show everyone what else we have in store for the future. This is only the beginning.”
Sattar is the first film from Muvi Studios in collaboration with AlShimaisi Films.
“After the launch of Muvi Studios in May 2022, we are delighted by this groundbreaking start which made a new milestone in Saudi Box office that successfully attracted more audience and raised the trust in Saudi Films,“ says Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of Muvi Studios.
“Up until now, Saudi Cinema has struggled to attract audiences. Sattar has managed to break the molds thanks to how it reflects the true culture of Saudi Arabia, which is something that AlShimaisi Films, Telfaz11 and Muvi Studios clearly understand,” said Gianluca Chakra, Front Row’s CEO. “This is a groundbreaking result that clearly shows that Saudi cinema is more than capable of competing with the biggest blockbusters out there”
Following its success in Saudi Arabia, Sattar is set for a theatrical release in the rest of the Gulf on January 19.