Warfare: cast, plot, trailer and everything we know

Having a movie "based on a true story” is standard practice in Hollywood, but I don’t know if I can ever recall a movie saying that it is "based on the memory of the people who lived it" before. That’s how A24 is teasing their 2025 new movie, Warfare, a war story that was co-written and co-directed by an Iraq War veteran, alongside noted filmmaker Alex Garland.

A24 has become one of the most popular labels in Hollywood these days. Warfare is just one of many movies that A24 has planned for 2025, including Parthenope, The Legend of Ochi, The Smashing Machine and more.

In this post though, we have everything you need to know about their new movie Warfare. Read on for all the details we have so far.

Warfare release date

A24 has not set an official release date for Warfare, but it is planning a 2025 release date.

Warfare cast

As Warfare is set to follow an American Navy SEALs platoon, it has gathered a large ensemble of actors to make up the unit, filled with a number of recognizable and newer names. Take a look at the official Warfare cast list right here:

• D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs)
• Will Poulter (Dopesick)
• Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun)
• Kit Connor (Heartstoppers)
• Finn Bennett (True Detective: Night Country)
• Taylor John Smith (Where the Crawdads Sing)
• Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark)
• Adain Bradley (The Bold and the Beautiful)
• Noah Centineo (The Recruit)
• Evan Holtzman (Hit Man)
• Henrique Zaga (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare)
• Joseph Quinn (Gladiator 2)
• Charles Melton (May December)

Warfare plot

Here is the official synopsis for Warfare:

“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 trailer

A24 has released the intense official trailer for Warfare, which you can watch right here:

Warfare | Official Trailer HD | A24 - YouTube

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Alex Garland movies

This is the first directing credit for Mendoza (though he has a number of previous producer credits), but Garland has established himself as a notable director over the years, particularly in science fiction and action movies. Here is a look at Alex Garland’s feature directing credits to date:

• Ex Machina (2014)
• Annihilation (2018)
• Men (2022)
• Civil War (2024)

Just an FYI, Garland is also credited as a co-writer on another big 2025 movie, the zombie sequel 28 Years Later.

Warfare behind the scenes

In addition to A24, Warfare is a DNA Films production. Producers on the project are Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Matthew Penry-Davey and Peter Rice.

At this time we also know the movie is, unsurprisingly, going to be rated R in the US.