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Alex Garland and Kirsten Dunst Team for A24 Action Epic ‘Civil War’

Christian Zilko
·2 min read

Alex Garland has found his next project. The writer/director behind “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation” is set to direct “Civil War,” a new action movie based on his original script, for A24. Little is known about the film’s plot, save for the fact that the epic film takes place in the United States in the not-so-distant future.

However, Garland has already assembled quite the cast. Kirsten Dunst is attached to star, along with Wagner Moura (“Narcos”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Dune”), and Cailee Spaeny (“Mare of Easttown”). Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, and Gregory Goodman will produce the film with A24.

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Garland and A24 have enjoyed a fruitful partnership in the past, as the company distributed his Oscar-winning directorial debut, “Ex Machina.” The film was a specialty box office smash that helped establish Garland as a filmmaker to watch and A24 as the buzziest indie film distributor in Hollywood.

Garland’s second film, “Annihilation,” was distributed by Paramount to critical acclaim but disappointing box office results. He followed that by entering the television realm, writing and directing the miniseries “Devs” for FX.

Garland is returning to A24 on his next project, a horror film titled “Men” that is currently in post-production. The film, which wrapped shooting in May 2021, stars Rory Kinnear and Jessie Buckley. It tells the story of a young woman who goes on a solo vacation in the British countryside after the death of her ex-husband. “Men” is expected to be released in 2022. The project must have gone well, as Garland and A24 have decided to announce their next collaboration before anyone sees “Men.”

Given Alex Garland’s status in Hollywood, the high-profile cast is unsurprising. Kirsten Dunst is currently enjoying Oscar buzz for her performance as Rose Gordon in “The Power of the Dog.” Wagner Moura is best known for his role as Pablo Escobar in Netflix’s “Narcos,” and will soon be seen in the Apple TV+ series “The Shining Girls.” Stephen McKinley Henderson is a Tony-nominated stage actor who previously collaborated with Garland on “Devs” in addition to roles in “Dune,” “Lady Bird,” and “Manchester By the Sea.” Cailee Spaeny is known for her role as Erin McMenamin on HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” and will next be seen in Showtime’s “The First Lady.”

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