Civil War Is Going To Terrify Audiences, See The Apocalyptic Proof
Sci-fi auteur Alex Garland will be taking his storytelling to the divide in America with his upcoming film Civil War. The film recently dropped a trailer that shows off some of the film’s action, including a shot of a rocket completely decimating the Lincoln Memorial. The trailer perfectly balances a haunting tone without giving away much in the way of story details.
Civil War follows Kirsten Dunst as a war journalist who travels with her team across the United States during the Second Civil War between the government and the Western Forces led by Texas and California.
The new Civil War trailer opens with a Presidential address, with Nick Offerman playing the US leader, asking US citizens to take up arms against the states who have seceded from the country. We also get some shots of New York City and Washington DC, along with that Lincoln Memorial sizzle shot. Alex Garland is known for his contemplative sci-fi efforts like Ex Machina, Annihilation, and the FX series Devs, but this will definitely be a more action-oriented film from the acclaimed director.
Civil War breaks out in theaters on April 12.
Civil War has assembled an impressive cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jesse Plemons, Sonoya Mizuno, and the aforementioned Offerman. A24 is producing the film along with Gregory Goodman and DNA’s Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich. While A24 doesn’t always do wide releases for its films, this one will be coming to theaters nationwide.
Civil War follows Kirsten Dunst as a war journalist who travels with her team across the United States during the Second Civil War between the government and the Western Forces led by Texas and California. That plot point has been a humorous point of discussion on social media and in comment sections, considering the stark political differences between the two states. That is entirely by design, as Alex Garland previously said, the question of why Texas and California would team up is “a question that I want the audience to ask.”
Civil War also seems like it will continue A24’s dominance in the indie space, as the wide release indicates the studio is likely expecting the film to be both a critical and commercial hit.
As much as Civil War is a bit of a tonal departure from Alex Garland’s previous directorial efforts, it does line up with his projects before his directorial debut, Ex Machina, in 2014. Before stepping behind the camera, Garland made his name as a writer on post-apocalyptic films like 28 Days Later and Dredd, both critically acclaimed. It’s safe to say that he should be able to bring that same energy to Civil War.
As mentioned, Civil War also seems like it will continue A24’s dominance in the indie space, as the wide release indicates the studio is likely expecting the film to be both a critical and commercial hit. A24 is always a sure thing at the Oscars, with the studio having nominations for both The Zone of Interest and Past Lives this year, but it has also proven that it can bring in the big bucks at the box office. This is evidenced by hits like Everything Everywhere All at Once, which grossed over $143 million worldwide and won some Oscars of its own.
It remains to be seen if Civil War can continue A24 and Alex Garland’s decade-long collaborative success. We won’t have to wait long to find out. The film will hit theaters on April 12.
