8 Most Exciting Things To Expect From A24's Civil War

Introduction

Alex Garland's upcoming dystopian thriller Civil War is set to become one of the most talked about movies in the first half of 2024. The ambitious project will present a bleak and ominous picture of a fictionalized United States divided by an all-out civil war between the American military and the so-called Western Forces. Garland, whose most recent films include Men (2022) and Annihilation (2018), is arguably best known for his groundbreaking sci-fi movie Ex Machina (2014) and has been heralded as one of the best and most imaginative screenwriters and filmmakers of the 21st century.

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With the release of the first official trailer for Civil War in late December 2023, not much is known about the specifics of the plot or the circumstances that led to the full-blown Civil War, the second in American history. Garland is confirmed to be both the writer and director of the ambitious movie and will direct a star-studded cast of Kirsten Dunst, Nick Offerman, Wagner Moura, and fan-favorite Jesse Plemons. Dunst and Moura appear to be journalists who are documenting the Civil War as it unfolds. Based on the trailer, which sees airstrikes and other forms of military attacks on U.S. soil, the journalists seem to be on the side of the resistant forces.

Kirsten Dunst in Civil War

A24's First Action Blockbuster Movie

Civil War will be considered the first major blockbuster effort by the prestigious independent production company, A24. With a $75 million budget, Civil War will become the most expensive A24 film ever made, marking the first effort they will be making into a larger mid-budget marketplace as they announced previously in 2023. A24 has been celebrated as one of the greatest production and distribution brands in entertainment that notably was able to continue working on several productions during the WGA and SAG strikes because they agreed to new conditions without a lengthy negotiation process.

Nick Offerman as the President of the United States in the 2024 film Civil War.

Jesse Plemons' Character

One of the most exciting parts about the new A24 blockbuster will be Jesse Plemons' soldier character. The character appears to have the signature cold intensity beneath a seemingly friendly or affable surface that the actor has become celebrated for since playing Todd on Breaking Bad over a decade ago. It's not clear how involved Plemons will be in Civil War, as he could only end up making a brief cameo as part of the film's marketing strategy to pull in viewers with his iconic performances. Regardless of how much Plemons' character is actually in the film, he will likely be stealing every scene he is a part of, as usual.

Jesse Plemons in Civil War

Alex Garland's Return To Form

Alex Garland has quite a variety of projects in his filmography and even a handful of great novels under his belt. Garland's breakthrough movie as a screenwriter was 28 Days Later starring a young Cillian Murphy. Although Danny Boyle directed that film instead of Garland, the similarities in the themes of the story alone are enough to suggest that Garland is going back to his action-packed and dystopian roots over 20 years later. The genre-blending 28 Days Later was intense, thrilling, and very scary, which hopefully will inspire some of the motivation behind the unsettling premise of Civil War.

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