Why did Hollywood shy away? 2017 was a volatile year for religious epics. The historical drama The Last Face bombed, and studios grew nervous about any film that could be perceived as taking a side in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic narrative. Saladin is a hero to Muslims, but depicting Crusaders as nuanced opponents (rather than pure villains) risks alienating Western and Middle Eastern audiences simultaneously. The result: scripts that are written, announced, and then quietly shelved.
(2005) as the gold standard for Saladin's portrayal, frequently discussing Ghassan Massoud's performance as a benchmark for any new 2017 productions. Related 2017 Releases
The primary source of the 2017 buzz was not a film, but a major Turkish television series. Following the massive international success of Diriliş: Ertuğrul (Resurrection: Ertugrul), Turkish state broadcaster TRT began developing a high-budget historical drama centered on Saladin. In , this project was formally announced and entered pre-production under the working title Kudüs Fatihi Selahaddin Eyyubi (Conqueror of Jerusalem: Saladin Ayyubi).
| Title | Year | Medium | Portrayal of Saladin | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | (Director's Cut) | 2005/2006 | Feature Film | Ghassan Massoud’s Saladin is wise, merciful, and magnetic. The siege of Jerusalem scene is iconic. | | Saladin (TV Series, real title Kudüs Fatihi Selahaddin Eyyubi ) | 2020–2021 | TV Series (stalled after 1 season) | Turkish actor Ugur Günes plays a younger, more action-hero Saladin. High production value but controversial historical accuracy. | | El Naser Salah ad-Din (also known as Saladin the Victorious ) | 1963 | Egyptian Feature Film | The gold standard. Directed by Youssef Chahine, this classic portrays Saladin as a unifier of Arab identity. Essential viewing. |
Reports from film trades during this period suggested that the script would focus not just on the Battle of Hattin and the Siege of Jerusalem, but on the complex unification of the Muslim factions—Ayyubids, Zengids, and Abbasids—under one banner. This internal political drama, combined with the external threat of the Crusaders, offered a narrative rich with modern relevance: themes of unity, tolerance, and leadership in a fractured world.
If you’ve seen Ridley Scott’s 2005 epic, you’ve seen the bones of Saladin —but stripped of moral ambiguity. The 2017 film follows a formulaic arc: the unification of Muslim factions (Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia), the Battle of Hattin (1187), and the recapture of Jerusalem. However, where Scott gave us a conflicted Balian and a weary Saladin (played with quiet dignity by Ghassan Massoud), Gumbatov’s version offers no grey areas.
," explored how European and Arab cultures have used Saladin’s image to build national identities and justify political agendas. Legacy of Ridley Scott
If you are looking for a complete film or series, you might be thinking of these related works:
