Warfare’s Alex Garland Explains Why Movie Is Told in Real-Time

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Warfare’s Alex Garland Explains Why Movie Is Told in Real-Time

Alex Garland is transporting audiences to the frontlines of the battlefield for his next movie, Warfare. The film is based on real events experienced by veteran and Garland’s co-director, Ray Mendoza. Warfare essentially recreates a battle in real-time, a component that piqued Garland’s interest.

“I was interested in recreating something real as forensically as possible, and doing it in real-time,” Garland said to Empire. “Ray actually had a story he’d wanted to do for a long time, so the two interests dovetailed.”

Garland met Mendoza on his film Civil War, with the latter serving as the military supervisor. Because Warfare is based on Mendoza’s memories, Garland knew the upcoming war film had to be a directorial collaboration.

“As soon as Ray told me the story, I realized this wasn’t something that would make sense for me to conventionally direct,” Garland said.

Who is involved with Alex Garland in Warfare?

“Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs on a surveillance mission gone wrong in insurgent territory,” the official synopsis reads. “A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare and brotherhood, told like never before: in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it.”

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, best known for his work on Reservation Dogs, will star as Mendoza. Warfare’s ensemble includes Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henrique Zaga, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton.

Garland and Mendoza cowrote and directed Warfare. Producers include Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Matthew Penry-Davey, and Peter Rice. Distributing the film will be A24, the same studio behind several of Garland’s previous films, including Civil War, Men, and Ex Machina.

Warfare opens in theaters on April 11, 2025.