Script rewrites by director Rupert Wyatt and Erica Beeney deliberately shifted focus from the original male bandit lead Hanzala to make Hind the empowered protagonist who unites fractious Arab tribes without any romantic subplot. Critics explicitly labeled the result a 'stodgy, sprawling, feminist, pre-Islamic Gandhi.' Casting compounds this: Anthony Mackie, a Black American actor, portrays the legendary Arab bandit Hanzala in 7th-century Arabia, drawing internal Saudi objections and widespread audience complaints about anachronistic diversity that clashes with the historical setting.

Marketing heavily featured Mackie despite his supporting role, fueling backlash over misleading promotion and ethnicity-based casting choices. Reception signals include poor box office performance as a $150 million Saudi production and audience reviews fixating on the non-traditional casting and female-lead emphasis over organic storytelling. These elements elevate modern gender-defiance and diversity priorities above strict historical fidelity or traditional epic conventions.