Lords of War
Lord of War is a movie that is not talked about enough. However, if there was ever a movie that I would not expect a sequel from, it would be the Andrew Niccol and Nicolas Cage gun-running dramedy. Both are back for another round with Lords of War. Along with Cage, the movie will star Bill Skarsgård (Dead Man’s Wire), Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Sylvia Hoeks (Blade Runner 2049), and Greg Tarzan Davis (Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning).
The official plot synopsis reads,
“In the sequel, Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Yuri Orlov, the world’s most notorious arms dealer. When Yuri discovers he has a son, Anton (Skarsgård), a ruthless mercenary mastermind bent on surpassing his father by building a private army and exploiting America’s wars in the Middle East, he is thrust into a deadly battle for legacy. What begins as a shocking revelation ignites a fierce father-son rivalry fueled by power, ambition, and betrayal – with the global arms trade hanging in the balance.”
Gettin’ Vertical
Vertical Entertainment has now announced that they have acquired the rights to Lords of War for distribution. The company bought the rights from the studio Vendôme Pictures and it is also revealed that a first look at the film’s footage will be presented at CinemaCon 2026, which our EIC Chris Bumbray is scheduled to attend. The movie recently wrapped filming in Morocco and prior to the footage debut, Vertical has also unveiled a screenshot from the film.
Writer/director Niccol states, “As a storyteller, I always felt there was so much more to explore with the ‘merchant of death’ that is Nicolas Cage’s charming devil, Yuri Orlov. This latest chapter gave me the chance to introduce his ultimate rival: his illegitimate son, Anton – illegitimate in every sense of the word – played by the equally roguish Bill Skarsgård. Set against the largely unseen world of mercenaries, the film quickly reveals that Anton isn’t out to right his father’s wrongs; he’s out to top them. We’re delighted to be partnering with Vertical on the U.S. release – the team has fully embraced the film’s vision and its portrayal of the insanity of war.”
Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey added, “Vertical is thrilled to unveil the first footage from Lords of War for exhibitors at CinemaCon next week. With Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård going head-to-head, audiences are in for a tense, electrifying ride. Lord of War has long been one of the defining crime thrillers for me, and it’s incredibly exciting to partner with Andrew Niccol as he returns to the explosive world of Yuri Orlov.”
The film was produced by Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi, who produced the original, for Vendôme Pictures, Niccol, Cage for Saturn Films, and executive produced by Skarsgård, Alice Dawson, Fifth Season’s Graham Taylor and Christopher Slager, and Vertical’s Rich Goldberg and Peter Jarowey. Sammi Farber served as associate producer. Additional below-the-line talent includes director of photography Amir Mokri (Pixels), editor Alex Rodríguez (Extraction II), costume designer Oliver Garcia (Chevalier), and production designer Philip Ivey (Ballerina), with casting by Orla Maxwell (Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die) and music by Antonio Pinto (The Mosquito Coast).
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