Saudi comedy ‘Alzarfa' tops local box office, outperforming global hits
Saudi comedy Alzarfa: Escape from Hanhounia Hell has taken the lead at the Saudi Arabian box office over the weekend, outperforming major international releases Jurassic World Rebirth and F1: The Movie. The film, a wild heist adventure about three friends attempting to steal a treasure known as 'The Golden Rashrash' from a museum owned by an eccentric billionaire, claimed the number one spot with 213,000 admissions and a box office haul of $2.7m in its first three days, according to figures from leading regional distributor Italia Film.
In comparison, Jurassic World Rebirth trailed significantly, landing in third place with 55,000 admissions and earnings of just over $800,000 in its debut weekend. Meanwhile, F1: The Movie, now in its second week, secured the second spot with 70,000 admissions and a $1.2m weekend total, pushing its cumulative gross in the kingdom to $3.8m.
Alzarfa, produced by Saudi production companies Alshimaisi Films and Telfaz11 in partnership with Big Time Fund and distributed by Qanawat, is the latest local hit following their previous blockbuster Sattar, which grossed over $10m in 2023, becoming the highest-earning Saudi film since commercial cinemas reopened in 2017 after a 35-year ban.
Blending elements of a heist film with a metafilm twist, Alzarfa follows the three protagonists from a failed robbery attempt to a surprising turn of events in which they become part of a film being produced by the same tycoon they had targeted. The fictional movie, depicting the tycoon's family history, is shot in the very locations tied to the treasure they had hoped to steal.
Marking the feature directorial debut of Abdullah Majed—known for his short film Safraa's Night and the TV drama Ureem: Balcony Hotel—Alzarfa features a cast including Mohammed Shaif, Hamed Sharari, Ahmed Al-Kaabi, and Ibrahim Alkhairallah, along with a cameo from American actor Robert Knepper of Prison Break fame.
Following its successful Saudi launch, the film is set to roll out across the region in the coming weeks. Its strong local performance reflects a growing trend in Saudi Arabia's evolving film industry, where homegrown titles are increasingly dominating box office charts. Earlier this year, Abdulaziz Alshlahei's period drama Hobal similarly outshone Hollywood competitors like Mufasa: The Lion King, Flight Risk, and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera in Saudi cinemas. With the country's annual box office stabilizing at around $200–$250 million, Saudi productions are proving they can compete head-to-head with international franchises.
In a statement, executive producer and Alshimaisi Films CEO Ibrahim Alkhairallah said: 'It's incredibly exciting to see another Saudi film take the lead during a packed summer slate. Following the success of Sattar, Alzarfa is further proof that audiences are craving locally-rooted stories told in our own voice but on a scale that can rival the biggest global titles.'
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