After teases earlier this week for Netflix’s high-profile next films, Okja and Bright, the streaming company has released the first look at another, for David Michôd‘s follow-up to The Rover, War Machine. Sporting a reported $60 million budget, the Brad Pitt-led feature is based on Michael Hastings‘ novel The Operators, which depicts the rise and fall of General Stanley McChrystal, the commanding general of international and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Also starring Tilda Swinton, Sir Ben Kingsley, Anthony Michael Hall, Topher Grace, Will Poulter, Lakeith Stanfield, Emory Cohen, John Magaro, RJ Cyler, Alan Ruck, Scoot McNairy and Meg Tilly, the first teaser is a brief one, introducing Pitt’s character and a few others. Employing what looks to be a dryly comedic tone, one wonders if this film will succeed where others taking a similar approach (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Rock the Kasbah, to name a few) failed. Set for a release in late May, perhaps we’ll see this one at Cannes, and one can check out the teaser below.
An absurdist war story for our times, writer-director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) recreates a U.S. General’s roller-coaster rise and fall as part reality, part savage parody – raising the specter of just where the line between them lies today. His is an exploration of a born leader’s ultra-confident march right into the dark heart of folly. At the story’s core is Brad Pitt’s sly take on a successful, charismatic four-star general who leapt in like a rock star to command NATO forces in Afghanistan, only to be taken down by a journalist’s no-holds-barred exposé.
War Machine will arrive on May 26th.