Alex Garland's upcoming "Civil War" with Kirsten Dunst was given an MPA rating in June: Rated R for strong violent content, bloody/disturbing images, and language throughout. This meant that the film was ready.
However, we haven’t seen it show up at any of the fall fest lineups and, now I’m being told, that it’s most likely destined for a Spring 2024 release, via A24. The strike probably didn’t help with this one, but I really thought it would show up at TIFF.
Garland wrapped production on “Civil War” in the summer of 2022. This is his fourth feature film (and third A24 project) which was shot in Atlanta and London. The film, set in near-future America, is said to be a companion piece to his last one, “Men.”
“Civil War” has had two test screenings, that I know of, both took place in early Spring of this year. The reactions, and I received a lot of them, were mixed to positive. It‘a said to look great and is stylishly directed, with some great needle drops.
One person wrote that it was “not quite on the same level as Ex Machina and Annihilation”. It’s said to be a a war film with road movie elements and satirical elements sprinkled in for good measure. The cast includes Kirsten Dunst, in the lead role, as a war photographer. Jesse Plemons and Nick Offerman also show up in small but key roles.
Another person described it as “an elevated shooter game” and “an entirely different beast than “Ex Machina” or “Men”. Less poetically artful or shocking, and a story that was difficult to follow.
The film stars Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, Karl Glusman, Sonoya Mizuno and Jonica T. Gibbs. No plot details have been released for this one. No trailer either.
As mentioned, Garland’s last film was the very divisive “Men,” before that he directed the well-reviewed “Ex-Machina” and “Annihilation.” His unofficial directorial debut was “Dredd,” for which he was not credited.
The prime catalyst for Netflix's risk-free shift may have been new content chief Dan Lin, who said two years ago that the company would greenlight films "more about audience, and less about auteurs."