The lines are being drawn in the sand in the first trailer forAlex Garland’s latest sci-fi action flick,Civil War. Re-teaming with A24,Garland’s pulse-pounding productionwill bring audiences just as much dystopian drama as that of his previous projects.With titles likeAnnihilationandEx Machinaknown the world over as expert-level examples of filmmaking, fans have been patiently waiting since 2022’sMento see what Garland had up his sleeves next. Up until this point, mum had been the word about the kind of battleCivil Warwill bring.A recently released posterteased an image of soldiers barricading themselves atop the Statue of Liberty’s torch, but that still didn’t give us too much info aside from a presumed location. With Lady Liberty at the center of the image, viewers could gather that at least some of the action will take place around New York City, but other things including the timeline, reason, and catastrophe-level have remained under wraps. Today’s trailer fills in plenty of the gaps and introduces us toNick Offermanas a very Coriolanus Snow-like President.
Kirsten Dunstis a photojournalist on a mission in the teaser as she bridges the gap between two sides of the war - the American government and a group known as The Western Forces. Traveling with her isNarcos’Wagner Moura,Stephen McKinley Henderson(Dune), andCailee Spaeny(Priscilla), with the trio’s relationship with one another not made completely clear in the trailer. Together, the quartet traverses the American landscape on a journey to the White House while all hell breaks loose around them. Featured in a cameo bit, Dunst’s real-life husbandJesse Plemonsis one of those hell-raisers, taking aim at the group during a tense interaction. With plenty of explosions, chaos, and anxiety-inducing sequences, the trailer has Garland’s name written all over it.
Along with helming, Garland also pennedCivil War, a task he’s taken on for all of his prior directorial features. In fact, writing was where Garland got his start, as similar tones can be spotted in titles including28 Days Later,Never Let Me Go, andDreddas well as 2000’sThe Beach, which was based on his debut 1996 novel of the same name. Just as he has in the past, Garland again collected a crack team of stars for the action-packed project, pulling Dunst back onto the screenin what will be the Golden Globe-nominee’s first performance since her turn in Jane Campion’s 2021 drama,The Power of the Dog.Happy to reunite with a slew of faces from his prior pieces,Civil Wargave Garland the opportunity to collaborate with alumni includingDevs' Henderson, Spaeny, andKarl Glusmanas well asAnnihilation’sSonoya Mizuno.
Alex Garland’s Past Projects Foreshadow ‘Civil War’
While dystopian vibes may be a hallmark for the filmmaker, he also tends to pen stories featuring strong female leads. ForEx Machina, it came in the form of Academy Award-winnerAlicia Vikander(The Danish Girl), whileAnnihilationfeatured a dynamite team of badass womenincludingNatalie Portman(May December) andTessa Thompson(Passing), with 2022’sMentaking a shot at the patriarchy courtesy ofJessie Buckley.Judging by the similarities in main character energy, it’s likely thatCivil Warwill put strong women front and center.
Civil Warwill be released into cinemas andIMAXon July 28, 2025. Check out the trailer below and stay tuned to Collider for more information.
In a near-future United States on the verge of civil war, a group of war journalists faces the challenge of surviving and reporting the truth. Navigating dangerous territories and conflicting agendas, they strive to reveal the complex realities of a nation divided while questioning their roles in the unfolding conflict.
