TEHRAN, Iran — It has now been just over a month since renowned Iranian film director Majid Majidi’s “Muhammad: The Messenger of God” first showed in cinemas across Iran. Yet despite the support of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Principlist media, it appears that film critics and movie-goers alike aren’t too happy with Majidi’s latest production. Despite high sales, the film is being viewed as a box-office failure considering its huge budget.

On a recent Thursday evening — the equivalent of Friday night in Western capitals, as Iran follows the Islamic calendar — a crowd had gathered at Tehran’s glitzy Mellat Cinema Complex, located alongside Niayesh Highway. A diverse crowd was anxiously waiting to see the film about the prophet of Islam at 9 p.m. In line were young women and men who were sporting the latest fashions — wearing loosely draped scarves while smoking cigarettes — and young clerical students were holding rosary beads while serenely chatting among themselves.

Alireza Nazari, one of the clerical students there, told Al-Monitor, "I’m very excited. Seeing a film about Islam’s prophet is truly a blessing." He added, "Since we know the film features special effects, we decided to come all the way from southern Tehran to Mellat Cinema as it has very good audio-visual facilities. After all, how often does one get the chance to come and see a film about his mawla [master]?”

Majidi proposed the idea of a film about the Prophet Muhammad back in 2007. After an eight-year journey, he eventually brought the most expensive film in the history of Iran’s cinema to the screens — spending more than $40 million on its production.