Inside Kevin Spacey's 'Portal Of Force' movie premiere in Dubai

Dubai: Two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey walked onto the stage at Dubai’s Theatre of Digital Art (TODA) to a packed room to introduce an entirely new cinematic universe.

Directed by and starring Spacey, the project 'Holiguards Saga — The Portal of Force' is set in a world where elite warriors called Holigaurds protect balance and order, while a rival group, the Stetigards, chase power and control.

The story follows their clash and epic battles.The movie is being positioned as the first instalment in the Statiguards vs. Holiguards franchise, an expanding universe already in motion.

“Thank you, guys. Thank you for coming today" Spacey told the audience, before turning his attention to the scale of the production. The actor, who has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct in recent years, was in his element as he talked up the movie.

He acknowledged over 150 crew members involved in the shoot, which took place primarily in Mexico, with several sequences filmed in Dubai.

“The crew here were very helpful and terrific" he added, noting that he’s glad to see more international films choosing Dubai as a production base.

It was also revealed that, the wider release won’t be in cinemas but on a brand-new streaming platform launching in the next three months. “Designed for the new device, the new era,” as described by the team, the platform will stream The Portal of Force, with further details yet to be announced.

Most of the principal cast joined Spacey on stage for the premiere, while Disha Patani and Tyrese Gibson were notably absent.

Cast member and screenwriter Lado Okhotnikov who helped shape the project from its earliest stages, spoke candidly about the journey behind it. “When the idea first came to me several years ago, I could never have imagined how it would come to life,” he said. 

“Standing here on the stage tonight, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude,” Lando added, reflecting on the challenges the team faced along the way. He described the film’s central theme as one of constant growth, a drive to search for purpose and suggested that the cast and crew experienced something similar during production.

Spacey closed the night on a more reflective note “We are all of us experiencing a world right now that is filled with conflict and debate and confusion,” he said.

One of the reasons he joined the project, he explained, was because it brought Ukrainians and Russians together to work on the same film. “I’m very happy about that" he said simply.