A24's action thriller Civil War, directed by Alex Garland and starring Kirsten Dunst, is set to make its debut in Texas. The film follows a group of journalists navigating a divided United States and will premiere at South by Southwest as a surprise screening. This marks a tradition at SXSW, with past surprise screenings including Ben Affleck's sports drama Air, John Wick 4 starring Keanu Reeves, and an entry from the Fast & Furious franchise.
The announcement was confirmed by SXSW programmer Claudette Godfrey, who expressed excitement about the film's premiere at the festival. Describing Civil War as a unique cinematic experience, Godfrey praised Garland's direction and the ensemble cast's performance, calling it a 'gorgeous, haunting, and powerful piece of cinema.'
Directed and written by Alex Garland, known for films like Ex Machina and Annihilation, Civil War is described as an adrenaline-fueled journey through a fractured America in the near future. The storyline revolves around a new Civil War between the U.S. government and the 'Western Forces' led by California and Texas.
The film's trailer showcases intense action sequences and a high level of violence, culminating in a striking scene of the Lincoln Memorial being destroyed by a missile. With a budget of $50 million, Civil War is A24's most expensive production to date and is scheduled for a theatrical release on April 12.
The cast features Nick Offerman as the U.S. president, along with Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, and Jesse Plemons. SXSW, taking place from March 8-16, will also feature premieres such as Netflix's series 3 Body Problem by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the action comedy The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Babes directed by Pamela Adlon, and the documentary MovieCrash produced by Mark Wahlberg, focusing on the collapse of MoviePass.
