Terry George's Riverman to be partly filmed in Neom

The Irish director will shoot some of his new project in Saudi Arabia next January

Neom has become a popular destination as the backdrop for films and television projects. AFP

Terry George, an Oscar-winning Irish director known for his films Hotel Rwanda and In the Name of the Father, will shoot part of his next project at Neom in Saudi Arabia.

Called Riverman, the film is inspired by true events that unfolded between 2001 and 2008 during the war in Afghanistan. It tells the story of a highly decorated British Royal Marine named Max who goes bad after a series of devastating events and becomes an arms dealer to supply weapons to private armies around the world.

Casting is still under way and principal photography is scheduled for January next year in Neom, the futuristic city in the north-west of the kingdom. The film will also be shot in the UK.

“Riverman is a powerful, highly dramatic war story,” said George. “I am excited to be directing this great project in Neom.”

Wayne Borg, managing director of media, entertainment and culture at Neom, said: “We are thrilled to welcome acclaimed writer and director Terry George to Neom to shoot his upcoming action feature Riverman.

“The production team’s confidence in Neom is a real testament to our world-class offering of state-of-the-art facilities, great crews, the sheer breadth of diverse locations, and our globally competitive 40 per cent plus-plus production cash rebate incentive.”

Over the last 18 months, Neom has become a popular destination for films and television. Other movies to have been filmed there recently include Rupert Wyatt’s Desert Warrior with Anthony Mackie and Ben Kingsley, Bollywood blockbuster Dunki, directed by Rajkumar Hirani and starring Shah Rukh Khan, and the TV shows Million Dollar Island and Rise of the Witches.

“These are exciting times as high-end TV and film productions head to shoot in Neom for the big studios and streamers to meet the unprecedented demand for high-quality content,” said Borg.