British novelist Alex Garland wrote and directed the 2024 dystopian thriller film Civil War, which starred Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman. During a fictional American civil war fought between an authoritarian federal government and several secessionist regional factions, the plot centers on a team of war journalists who are dispatched from New York City to Washington, D.C. to interview the President before rebels seize control of the nation’s capital.
2022 saw the start of principal photography in Atlanta, Georgia, with production subsequently shifting to London. On March 14, 2024, Civil War made its world premiere at South by Southwest. A24 then released the film in theaters nationwide.
and on April 12, 2024, by Entertainment Film Distributors in the United Kingdom. Civil War is the costliest movie that A24 has produced to date, with a $50 million budget. With a global box office total of nearly $121 million, the movie is now A24’s second highest-grossing production. Critics have given it mostly favorable reviews.
Cast
- Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith, a renowned war photojournalist from Colorado.She is said to be the youngest-ever member of the Magnum Photos cooperative. The character’s first name is a reference to famed World War II photojournalist Lee Miller.
- Wagner Moura as Joel, a Reuters journalist from Florida and Lee’s colleague.
- Cailee Spaeny as Jessie Cullen, an aspiring young photographer from Missouri who accompanies Lee and Joel on their journey.
- Stephen McKinley Henderson as Sammy, a veteran journalist for The New York Times and Lee’s mentor.
- Sonoya Mizuno as Anya, a British reporter embedded with the Western Forces’ advance on the capital.
- Jefferson White as Dave, Anya’s cameraman.
- Nelson Lee as Tony, a Hong Konger reporter who is good friends with Lee and Joel.
- Karl Glusman as a spotter.
- Jin Ha as a sniper.
- Juani Feliz as Joy Butler, a Secret Service agent.
- Jonica T. Gibbs as a Western Forces sergeant.
- James Yaegashi as a secessionist corporal.
- Evan Lai as Bohai, a foreign reporter who is a colleague of Tony.
- Greg Hill as Pete, a gas station employee.
- Edmund Donovan as Eddie, a gas station employee.
- Nick Offerman as the President of the United States.
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Alex Garland |
| Written by | Alex Garland |
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| Cinematography | Rob Hardy |
| Edited by | Jake Roberts |
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Release dates
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Running time
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109 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $50 million |
Release
Civil War had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2024, with favorable reactions from the audience and to positive reviews from the critics.
The film was previously scheduled to be released on April 26, 2024. It was screened at the BFI IMAX in London on April 11, 2024, and received a wide release on April 12, 2024, in the United States by A24 and in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film, with engagements in IMAX and Dolby Cinema. The film will be released in mainland China on June 7, 2024.
