PlayMaker Studios opens in Qiddiya City; ‘Unbroken Sword' to be first shoot

A major new production facility has opened in Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya City and will host upcoming historical action feature Unbroken Sword as its first film.

PlayMaker Studios spans more than 50 acres of backlots and features two soundstages, workshops and full production facilities. Construction is underway on two additional soundstages, scheduled for completion in 2026, with ambitions to host large-scale international and regional productions simultaneously.

It is located in Qiddiya, an entertainment and tourism gigaproject that is being developed in the Tuwaiq Mountains of western Riyadh.

The first major project in production at the studios is Unbroken Sword from Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and director Alik Sakharov, whose credits include Game Of Thrones, House Of Cards and Ozark. Also on board is UK producer Richard Sharkey, known for his work on House Of The Dragon and Marco Polo.

Set in the 7^th century, the English-language feature follows Khalid bin Al-Walid, a warrior who led an army across desert terrain to confront the Roman and Persian empires.

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in early 2026 and more than 200 crew are already on the ground. The film is sponsored by General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and Riyadh Season and produced by Sela.

Qiddiya Investment Company, the firm behind the gigaproject, has assembled a team to provide support for permits, logistics, and operations. The studios also offers producers access to Saudi’s 40% production rebate.

As part of its long-term development plan, PlayMaker Studios will also introduce dedicated post-production, visual effects, volumetric, and music studios.