Posted in: A24, Movies | Tagged: alex garland, Warfare

Warfare Wants To Recreate "Something Real" And "Doing It In Real-Time"

Warfare director Alex Garland says he was only interested in "recreating something real as forensically as possible."

Warfare is a movie that has come together through two writers and directors looking to tell a story that rings very true reality. Last year, director Alex Garland brought A24 its biggest opening weekend yet, so it's not surprising that he was able to find plenty of funding for his next film, which A24 will also distribute. It's also not surprising that it more or less has the same release window as Civil War. However, they couldn't be more different in terms of what they are trying to accomplish. Civil War is a cautionary tale of what could happen in the future, and it is about as subtle in its messaging as a 2×4 to the face. Warfare aims to bring the reality of war to people who won't ever step foot in active combat. Garland recently spoke to Empire and explained how he wanted to create something and recreate something real.

"I was interested in recreating something real as forensically as possible and doing it in real-time," Garland said. "Ray [Mendoza] actually had a story he'd wanted to do for a long time, so the two interests dovetailed. … As soon as Ray told me the story, I realised this wasn't something that would make sense for me to conventionally direct."

Ray Mendoza was the person he ended up working with in terms of unconventional directing and writing. Mendoza is an Iraqi Veteran, and the story we're telling is about events that he was personally involved with to the point that D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai is portraying Mendoza in the film. Mendoza is a co-director and writer of the film, but his intentions for making Warfare are bigger than just recollecting his own experiences. A fellow SEAL named Elliot suffered a traumatic brain injury and has no memory of the events that are being recreated on screen. This lack of memories is part of the reason Mendoza wanted to make this movie happen.

"Just the fact that a movie was being made about what happened was exciting, and it also acts as a voice for him," Mendoza explains. "It can be hard for veterans to talk about an experience. Now, he can show this to his kids, who have questions all the time. If you don't remember, it's hard to explain."

Warfare will be released in theaters during a busy April season, but everyone thought Civil War would have a hard time carving a spot out for itself at the box office last year, and we all saw how that worked out. Warfare and other films like it have an advantage; the smaller budgets mean they don't need to make as much at the box office to be considered a success.

Warfare: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War, 28 Days Later), Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs in the home of an Iraqi family, overwatching the movement of US forces through insurgent territory. A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare, told like never before: in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it.

Warfare, written and directed by Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland, stars D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henrique Zaga, with Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton. It will be released on April 11, 2025.

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