The controversial 1976 epic The Message is finally being screened in Saudi Arabia. It’s the first Arabic film to get a commercial cinema screening in the conservative kingdom.

The film, which chronicles the origin of Islam and the life of prophet Muhammad, is now a staple in many Muslim households across the world. The Message was made in two versions: one in English, starring Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas, and one in Arabic, with leading Arab stars, the Egyptian Abdullah Gheith and Mouna Wasef of Syria. Its production and initial release were met with heavy backlash.

The film was banned in a number of Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. In the US, theatrical release was suspended after members of the Hanafi movement, an extremist group, staged a siege in Washington, D.C., taking hostages and killing two people. The group had mistakenly believed that Quinn played the role of Muhammad on film.

Images of Muhammad are strictly forbidden in Islam. The Syrian-American director and producer Moustapha Akkad was well aware and created a film in which the main character is never shown or heard. Instead, his presence is suggested when other characters speak to the camera directly. And they repeat the prophet’s words. Despite this, the film was still harshly criticized by conservative Islamic clerics.

Now, more than 40 years after the film was first released, the Saudi censorship board cleared it to be screened today (June 14) in a restored 4K version. The film will air just in time for Eid celebrations.

Last December, the Saudi government announced it would be re-opening movie theaters after a 35-year ban. Marvel’s superhero blockbuster Black Panther was the first film to be shown, followed by Isle of Dogs and A Quiet Place.

Saudi reopened cinemas as part its bid to encourage a more open domestic culture. Previously, movies would be watched films in homes, or Saudis would have go to cinemas in neighboring countries. The recent liberalization of Saudi society is seen largely as a drive to diversify its economy, which relies on oil exports for 90% of its state budget. The government has pledged to invest billions of dollars in non-oil businesses, particular in technology. </s> Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia held a private screening on Wednesday of the Hollywood blockbuster Black Panther to herald the launch of movie theatres in the kingdom, and tickets go on sale on Thursday for public showings on Friday.

Authorities planned the invitation-only event in a concert hall converted into a cinema complex in the capital, Riyadh. The screening, attended by both men and women, will be followed by a rush to build movie theatres in major cities.

The Saudi government dubbed Wednesday's event as "the showing of the first commercial film in the kingdom after more than 35 years".

Audience members clearly enjoyed the moment, eating popcorn and erupting into applause and hoots when the movie started.

"This is a landmark moment in the transformation of Saudi Arabia into a more vibrant economy and society," Saudi Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Alawwad said in statement ahead of the screening. </s> The opening of the first movie theater in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday has been highly anticipated across the country, after over 35 years of prohibition for religious reasons.

The first film screening is to be in the capital Riyadh, where a mixed Saudi and foreign audience is set to watch the Marvel superhero film "Black Panther." </s> Saudis attend the screening of the movie "Black Panther", the first film shown in the Kingdom in 35 years. Center for International Communication Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia screened Marvel blockbuster "Black Panther" on Wednesday night, marking the country's first film screening in more than three decades.

The screening was praised by advocates as a milestone in Saudi's modernization efforts, but attendees were reminded of the country's conservative laws when crucial scenes in the film were censored for modesty.

The film's regional distributor, Italia Film, told The Hollywood Reporter that 40 seconds of the film had been censored, which it said was on par with edits made for screenings of the film throughout the region.

According to Associated Press, the ending scene which featured a kiss between characters was cut, despite scenes that depicted violence being left in.

Awwad Alawwad, Saudi's minister of culture and information, attended the Riyadh premiere and told Associated Press films screened in the country need to strike a balance for Saudi audiences.

"We want to ensure the movies are in line with our culture and respect for values. Meanwhile, we want to provide people with a beautiful show and really enjoy watching their own movies," he said.

Last year, Saudi Arabia announced movies chosen for screening couldn't contradict "Sharia Laws and moral values in the Kingdom."

Variety noted in December that movies screened in Saudi Arabia can expect strong censorship, particularly around scenes which feature sex, LGBT representation, and religious issues.

Mario Haddad Jr., a Middle East distributor for Empire International, told Variety that films shown in the region are usually cut shorter than their international releases.

Many major blockbusters, like 2009's "Watchmen", were heavily cut for Middle East audiences, which critics said led to the movie being "near incomprehensible."

Producers of the 2011 film "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" declined to show the movie in Gulf cinemas with the requested cuts, which prompted backlash.

"Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to make the cuts that were necessary for it to be screened," Piroska Szakacs from local distributors Empire International said at the time. "The filmmakers wouldn't allow it."

But Saudi Arabia's decision to lift the 35-year ban on cinemas points to major efforts by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to modernize the country and make its economy more competitive on the global stage.

Saudi Arabia plans to open about 350 cinemas and 2,500 screens by 2030.

The culture ministry believes this will generate $1 billion in box office spend each year, making it the 11th largest film market in the world. </s> Saudi Arabia will hold a private screening today of the Hollywood blockbuster Black Panther — a stark reversal for a country where public movie screenings were banned in the 1980s during a wave of ultraconservatism.

Authorities have planned an invitation-only screening of the movie in a concert hall converted into a cinema complex in the capital, Riyadh. The screening at the King Abdullah Financial District Theatre will be followed by a rush to build movie theatres in major cities that are expected to open as early as next month.

The Saudi government has dubbed Wednesday's event as "the showing of the first commercial film in the kingdom after more than 35 years."

"This is a landmark moment in the transformation of Saudi Arabia into a more vibrant economy and society," Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Alawwad said in statement ahead of the screening.

Many Saudi clerics view Western movies and even Arabic films made in Egypt and Lebanon as sinful.

Despite decades of ultraconservative dogma, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has sought to ram through a number of major social reforms with support from his father, King Salman.

The crown prince is behind measures such as lifting a ban on women driving that will go into effect this summer, and bringing back concerts and other forms of entertainment to satiate the desires of the majority young population. The social push by the 32-year-old heir to the throne is part of his so-called Vision 2030, a blueprint for the country that aims to boost local spending and create jobs amid sustained lower oil prices.

The government projects the opening of movie theatres will contribute more than 90 billion riyals ($30 billion Cdn) to the economy and create more than 30,000 jobs by 2030. The kingdom says there will be 300 cinemas with around 2,000 screens built by 2030.

Over the past several years, Saudi Arabia has gradually been loosening restrictions on movie screenings, with local film festivals and screenings in makeshift theatres. For the most part, though, Saudis who wanted to watch a film in a movie theatre would have to drive to nearby Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates for weekend trips to the cinema.

In the 1970s, there were informal movie screenings, but the experience could be interrupted by the country's religious police, whose powers have since been curbed.

Saudi writer and dissident Jamal Khashoggi describes the theatres of the 1970s as being "like American drive-ins, except much more informal." In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, he wrote that to avoid being arrested at one of these screenings in Medina, a friend of his broke his leg jumping off a wall to escape the religious police.

By the 1980s, movie screenings were largely banned unless they took place in private residential compounds for foreigners or at cultural centres run by foreign embassies.

Access to streaming services, such as Netflix, and satellite TV steadily eroded attempts by the government to censor what the Saudi public could view. By 2013, the film Wadjda made history by becoming the first Academy Award entry for Saudi Arabia, though it wasn't nominated for the Oscars.

Movies screened in Saudi cinemas will be subject to approval by government censors, as is the case in other Arab countries. Scenes of violence are not cut, but scenes involving nudity, sex or kissing often do get axed.

It's not clear whether Black Panther will undergo a similar censorship for Wednesday's screening, which will be attended by diplomats, industry insiders, the media and CEO of AMC Entertainment Adam Aron.

U.S.-based AMC was granted the first licence to operate a cinema in Saudi Arabia in a deal signed earlier this month in California with the crown prince.

AMC is partnering with a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund, to build up to 40 AMC cinemas across the country over the next five years. </s> (RIYADH, Saudi Arabia) — The lights dimmed and the crowd of men and women erupted into applause and hoots Wednesday evening as Hollywood’s blockbuster “Black Panther” premiered in Saudi Arabia’s first movie theater.

Though it was a private, invitation-only screening, for many Saudis it marked one of the clearest moments of change to sweep the country in decades. It’s seen as part of a new era in which women will soon be allowed to drive and people in the kingdom will be able to go to concerts and fashion shows, and tuck into a bucket of popcorn in a cinema.

“It’s a new era, a new age. It’s that simple. Things are changing, progress is happening. We’re opening up and we’re catching up with everything that’s happening in the world,” said Rahaf Alhendi, who attended the showing.

Authorities said the public would be able to purchase tickets online Thursday for showings starting Friday. But there may be delays.

Movies screened in Saudi cinemas will be subject to approval by government censors, and Wednesday night’s premiere was no exception. Scenes of violence were not cut, but a final scene involving a kiss was axed.

Still, it’s a stark reversal for a country where public movie screenings were banned in the 1980s during a wave of ultraconservatism that swept Saudi Arabia. Many Saudi clerics view Western movies and even Arabic films made in Egypt and Lebanon as sinful.

Despite decades of ultraconservative dogma, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pushed through a number of major social reforms with support from his father, King Salman, to satiate the desires of the country’s majority young population.

“This is a historic day for your country,” Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Entertainment, told the crowd at the screening. “It’s been about 37 years since you’ve been able to watch movies the way movies are meant to be watched in a theater, together on a big screen.”

U.S.-based AMC, one of the world’s biggest movie theater operators, only two weeks earlier signed a deal with Prince Mohammed to operate the first cinema in the kingdom. AMC and its local partner hurriedly transformed a concert hall in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, into a cinema complex for Wednesday’s screening.

Aron said the company plans to rip out the current concert-style seats and replace them with plush leather recliners and build three more screens in the complex to accommodate up to 5,000 movie-goers a day.

Samer Alsourani traveled from Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province for the event. He commended the crown prince for following through on his promises to modernize the country.

“This is the first time that we really see something that’s really being materialized,” he said.

The social reforms undertaken by the 32-year-old heir to the throne are part of his so-called Vision 2030, a blueprint for Saudi Arabia that aims to boost local spending and create jobs amid sustained lower oil prices.

The Saudi government projects that the opening of movie theaters will contribute more than 90 billion riyals ($24 billion) to the economy and create more than 30,000 jobs by 2030. The kingdom says there will be 300 cinemas with around 2,000 screens built by 2030.

AMC has partnered with a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund, to build up to 40 AMC cinemas across the country over the next five years.

Saudi Arabia had already started gradually loosening restrictions on movie screenings in the past few years, with local film festivals and screenings in makeshift theaters. For the most part, though, until now Saudis who wanted to watch a film in a movie theater had to drive to nearby Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates for weekend trips to the cinema.

In the 1970s, there were informal movie screenings but the experience could be interrupted by the country’s religious police, whose powers have since been curbed.

Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident Saudi writer, describes the theaters of the 1970s as being “like American drive-ins, except much more informal.” In an opinion piece for The Washington Post, he wrote that a friend once broke his leg at a screening in Medina when he jumped off a wall to escape the religious police and avoid arrest.

By the 1980s, movie screenings were largely banned unless they took place in private residential compounds for foreigners or at cultural centers run by foreign embassies.

Access to streaming services, such as Netflix, and satellite TV steadily eroded attempts by the government to censor what the Saudi public could view. By 2013, the film “Wadjda” made history by becoming the first Academy Award entry for Saudi Arabia, though it wasn’t nominated for the Oscars.

To adhere to the kingdom’s norms on gender segregation, certain screenings may be held for families and others for male-only crowds. But, generally movie theaters will not be gender segregated with “family sections” for women and related men and separate “single sections” for male-only crowds as is customary at restaurants and cafes.

Saudi Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Alawwad told The Associated Press the government aims to strike a balance between the country’s Islamic mores and people’s movie experiences.

“We want to ensure the movies are in line with our culture and respect for values. Meanwhile, we want to provide people with a beautiful show and really enjoy watching their own movies,” he said.

The new movie theater also came equipped with prayer rooms to accommodate the daily Muslim prayer times. </s> Saudi Arabia's first cinema in decades will open in the capital later this month, officials have said, while also announcing an agreement over the opening of dozens of theatres by 2023.

Saudi state media said on Wednesday that Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia's main sovereign wealth fund, had signed a deal with AMC Entertainment Holdings to operate cinemas in the kingdom.

The two sides are expected to establish up to 40 theatres in 15 Saudi cities over the next five years, SPA reported.

Further ahead, between 50 and 100 cinemas will be set up in about 25 Saudi cities by 2030, it added.

The first cinema will open in Riyadh on April 18, according to a statement by the information ministry's Centre for International Communication.

It will reportedly be located in the capital's King Abdullah Financial District, in a site originally intended to be a symphony concert hall.

The announcement comes after the Saudi government said in December 2017 that it would lift a 35-year ban on cinemas and allow films to be screened as early as next year.

However, critics at the time questioned whether the move signalled a new era of free speech.

"I don't think it ushers a new era for freedom of expression," Joseph Fahim, an Egyptian film critic and programmer, told Al Jazeera.

"There have been several films made in Saudi [Arabia] before, and TV production is established in there."

"There are concrete rules no Saudi filmmaker can transcend, namely anything related to the royal family."

Millions of people in the kingdom already have digital access to films through online-streaming services such as Netflix.

There are still questions about about what kinds of films will be screened in the new cinemas, as well as whether movie theatres will be segregated by gender.

Saudi Arabia placed a complete ban on cinemas in the early 1980s.

In January, feature-length animated children's films were screened in makeshift theatres. </s> As the crown prince charms Hollywood, the reality sets in: Global studios and talent are jockeying for position in a politically fraught movie market that could grow to $1 billion a year.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman — alongside an entourage big enough to book out the entire Beverly Hills Four Seasons — swooped into Hollywood last week as part of the royal’s whirlwind U.S. tour. The schedule included a star-studded soiree on April 2 thrown by Rupert Murdoch (and attended by studio bosses Bob Iger, Jeff Shell, Kevin Tsujihara and Stacey Snider), and the 32-year-old, commonly known as MBS, also swung by Endeavor (the $230 billion sovereign wealth fund he controls is buying a $400 million stake).

But although major announcements may have been limited to Cirque du Soleil signing an agreement for its debut performance in Saudi Arabia, the prince’s Hollywood visit coincided with the historic news that AMC Theatres had won his country’s first cinema license and would be opening its first site on April 18, breaking a 35-year ban on public screens that was only lifted in December.

Saudi’s cultural reforms are set to have a significant impact to a cinema-starved country of 32.3 million (70 percent under the age of 30), offering significant industry opportunities even as the country faces criticism of its human rights practices. Here’s The Hollywood Reporter’s take on the opening up of what could be the last great untapped market.

The fact that Black Panther is set to historically break Saudi Arabia’s 35-year cinema ban (immediately followed by Avengers: Infinity War) is a sure sign that Hollywood will play a significant part in Saudi Arabia’s film future. With the country likely to be underscreened for first few years as exhibitors race to satisfy pent-up demand, one regional distributor predicts that they will likely “give space only to tentpole tites.” Analysts have suggested that Saudi’s untapped market could reach $1 billion in ticket sales (making it the 10th biggest globally), and, much like other regional box offices, U.S. studio fare is likely to dominate.

It’s not only Hollywood output expected to reap the rewards. An estimated 4.1 million Indians — 13 percent of the population — live in Saudi Arabia, making them the biggest expatriate group by some margin. In the neighboring United Arab Emirates, where Indians also dominate (27 percent), Bollywood has become a growing force. Last year, Indian films sat atop the UAE box office for eight weeks, with fantasy actioner Baahubali 2: The Conclusion fending off Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (and in its second week). "There's also a sizable population of expats [in Saudi Arabia] from other South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, who are a target audience," says Deloitte India partner Jehil Thakkar, who says there's "tremendous potential" for Bollywood. "Moreover, the country also has residents from other countries, such as Egypt, where Bollywood has had a strong following."

3. IT SHOULD BRING SOME (MUCH-NEEDED) GOOD NEWS FOR WANDA

China’s once-mighty Dalian Wanda Group — which recently received a multibillion-dollar bailout out by former tech rivals Tencent and Alibaba — could enjoy a prolonged period in the Saudi sun thanks to its AMC theater chain. The exhibitor was the first to announce it was looking at opportunities in the kingdom, and such proactive behavior has paid off: It’s now set to open the country’s first cinema on April 18, and CEO Adam Aron has said that with “up to 100” other sites planned, he hopes AMC will command “approximately a 50 percent” share of the market. “Where else are you going to find a movie market that literally doesn’t exist today that could be $1 billion in size in five years or so?” said Aron. “I think we’re going to sell a lot of tickets.”

4. PLENTY OF INTERNATIONAL CHAINS ARE GETTING INVOLVED

Even if AMC achieves it goal of snaring half the $1 billion Saudi cinema market, there’s still plenty left to go around. THR has learned that regional chain Vox, which operates in the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt and Oman, will follow hot on the heels of the U.S. giant, opening its first outpost at the end of April. Although Vox wouldn’t confirm, its holding company Majid Al Futtaim already has more than $3.7 billion invested in retail and leisure projects in the kingdom and has said it will have an “active role” in its cinema revolution. London-based European exhibitor Vue International has also said it plans to build “up to 30” multiplexes, while Gulf group Cinescape has it sights on 27 screens across three locations by the end of 2018. Luxury chain iPic is also prepping its Saudi arrival, tapping into the region's demand for higher-class offerings.

5. HOMEGROWN FILMMAKERS MAY GET AN INDUSTRY TO CALL THEIR OWN

While Saudi’s nascent film industry should be a major beneficiary of the country’s cultural reforms, filmmakers are remaining cautious. Mahmoud Sabbagh, whose comedy-drama Barakah Meets Barakah debuted in Berlin in 2016, says announcements regarding incoming cinemas have so far “neglected” local productions, and hopes the country will follow France’s lead in the '90s by introducing “either a quota for local films, or a tax payed by all foreign films” that goes toward homegrown productions. But the recent setting up of the Saudi Film Council, which includes a fund for Saudi filmmakers, is a hugely positive sign, as is the appointment of acclaimed local filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour (Wadjda, Mary Shelley) to the board of directors of the General Culture Authority.

Thanks to its abundance of modern multiplexes, the UAE city of Dubai has become a major destination for movie-starved Saudis (one politician has claimed that hundreds of thousands flew over each year specifically to watch films). Such tourism is lilkely to — eventually — dry up as Saudis head to screens closer to home, but there could also be an impact on Dubai’s position as the regional industry hub thanks to its well-established film festival. “If Saudi Arabia launched a film festival or created a fund, it will of course affect Dubai,” says Alaa Karkouti of the Arab Cinema Center. But he points to Dubai’s hugely well-respected team and strong industry focus, plus uncertain issues regarding censorship in Saudi Arabia. “Also, the market in the Arab world can have a space for more festivals,” he says.

A version of this story first appeared in the April 11 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. </s> A commercial movie theater opened Wednesday in Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Riyadh ― ending a nearly 40-year ban on public cinemas in the deeply conservative country.

The theater, a converted concert hall, hosted a glitzy, invitation-only screening of the Marvel Studios film “Black Panther” attended by government officials and foreign dignitaries. Members of the general public will be able to purchase tickets on Thursday for Friday showings, according to Reuters.

The U.S.-based AMC Theatres operates the cinema. Earlier this month, the company announced it had signed a deal with the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, to open and operate up to 40 theaters in the country over the next five years.

Government censors will review movies before they’re shown at Saudi theaters. A kissing scene in “Black Panther” was reportedly cut from the film for Wednesday’s screening.

Men and women will generally be allowed to sit together in theaters, The Associated Press reports, though some screenings will be reserved for a male-only crowd. The country’s rules about gender segregation typically split customers into a men-only section and a “family” section reserved for women and their male relatives.

Saudi Arabian public movie theaters began shutting down in the late 1970s after the country adopted ultraconservative Islamic law. Saudi Arabia’s powerful conservative clerics claimed Western movies did not meet their hard-line interpretations of Islam.

The new push for theaters is part of a larger package of economic and social reforms being promoted by the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The government hopes the re-introduction of movie theaters will add more than $24 billion to the economy by 2030.

Saudia Arabians have long been able to watch Western television and films on their computers, phones and through satellite television. In recent years, the country has also hosted local film festivals and screenings in makeshift theaters. But in order to watch a movie at a theater with a public crowd, Saudi Arabians would have to travel to nearby countries like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

“This is a historic day for your country,” Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Entertainment, said at the “Black Panther” premiere. “It’s been about 37 years since you’ve been able to watch movies the way movies are meant to be watched in a theater, together on a big screen.”

For more images from Saudi Arabians’ day at the movies, scroll through the slideshow below.
The Message is the first Arabic film commercially screened in Saudi Arabia.