KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
HISTORICAL EPIC • 20TH CENTURY FOX
DIRECTOR
DOP
SCALE
CLIENT
YEAR
Ridley Scott
John Mathieson
$130M Budget
Scott Free / 20th Century Fox
2005
OVERVIEW
Ridley Scott’s crusade epic is legendary for its production design. The production literally built the city of Jerusalem in the Moroccan desert, including massive walls and siege towers. This wasn’t just a film set; it was a major construction project.
CHALLENGES & APPROACH
The Economics of “World Building”.
Unlike other films that rely on existing locations, Kingdom of Heaven required managing a massive construction budget. The challenge was tracking the costs of raw materials (wood, plaster, steel) and hundreds of skilled craftsmen needed to build the city. My role involved precise cost-reporting for the art department, ensuring that Ridley Scott’s ambitious vision didn’t drain the entire production budget before cameras even rolled.
THE RESULT
The set remains one of the most impressive ever built in cinema history. We successfully managed the heavy “front-end” spending of construction, allowing the shoot to proceed without financial compromises.
