Production company A24 has solidified itself as a powerhouse in film, releasing hits like Everything Everywhere All At Once, Hereditary, Midsommar, Moonlight, and Eighth Grade, to name a few. Their latest film, Civil War, is a larger-scale project than A24's usual size, with a $50 million budget. Civil War tells the story of a dystopian future where California and Texas have succeeded from the United States, and a group of military-embedded journalists are racing across the country to stop what is sure to be a disastrous fight over Washington, DC.

Executive produced by A24 alums Elisa Alvares and Timo Argillander (Beau is Afraid), the film is written and directed by Alex Garland, a previous collaborator with the production company. Garland's 2014 film, Ex Machina, was a hit when it premiered, winning both critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Civil War is a departure from Ex Machina in its massive scale and $50 million budget. Garland has expressed the unconventional filming style he used during the film's production, with cameras being as hidden from the actors as possible to help them bring authentic performances to their roles. With Civil War hitting theaters soon, time will tell how this bigger budgeted A24 project will fare with audiences.

When is the Release Date For 'Civil War'?

Civil War premieres in North American theaters on April 12, 2024.

Is 'Civil War' in Movie Theaters?

Civil War will premiere exclusively in movie theaters on April 12, 2024. The film isn't the only dystopian adventure premiering on this date, with the Nicolas Cage (Face/Off) and Jaeden Martell (It) film Arcadian releasing on the same day. Arcadian follows a family as they attempt to survive the end of the world in their farmhouse. Also releasing on April 12 are Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, The Greatest Hits, and Sting, a film about a giant pet spider who turns against the family who has been raising it.

Find Showtimes For 'Civil War'

Watch the Trailer For 'Civil War'

The first trailer for Civil War was released in December 2023 and has racked up an impressive fifteen million views. The preview is haunting in its representation of this dystopian future, as the settings will be all too familiar to those watching. As the president (Offerman) paints a different picture of the future than the journalists the movie is following, there is no shortage of drama, and it's unclear who will come out on top in this epic battle.

The official plot synopsis of Civil War reads:

A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

The film stars Kirsten Dunst in her first film role in three years, following her Academy Award-winning performance in The Power of the Dog. Dunst's other big roles include Mary Jane in the Spider-Man films opposite Toby MacGuire, leading in Mary Antoinette, and starring roles in Elizabethtown, All Good Things, and Mona Lisa Smile. Co-starring with Dunst is Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman, as well as Wagner Moura (Narcos), Jefferson White (Yellowstone), and Nelson Lee (Mulan).

More Dystopian Action Films That You Can Watch Right Now

Check out the list below for more dystopian action flicks with some A-list actors.

'Elysium' (2013)

It's the year 2154, and the über rich live on their own man-made space station called Elysium while the rest of the world exists on a wrecked planet, Earth. Because of the terrible conditions on Earth, those who reside on the planet are attempting to do whatever they can do to make their way to Elysium, but with no luck. Ex-convict Max (Matt Damon) dreams of saving enough money to make it to Elysium, and when he is exposed to a type of radiation that only a machine in Elysium can fix, time is now ticking faster than ever. Max teams up with Spider (Wagner Moura), who says he can get anyone into the space station for a particular price, and the race is on. Now, Max's mission is no longer just about saving himself but about saving all of humanity through uniting the two vastly different worlds.

Elysium was written and directed by District 9's Neill Blomkamp and co-starred Academy Award winner Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs), Sharlto Copley (District 9), Alice Braga (I Am Legend), Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and William Fichtner (Crash). Often deemed "underrated" by its fans, the film was praised for its visual effects and sound mixing and earned $286 million worldwide at the box office.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO

'The Hunger Games' (2012)

Based on the novels by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman living in a world where class is divided into districts. Katniss's District 12 is the most impoverished, and she uses her skills as a hunter to provide food for her family. Each year, a child between the ages of twelve and eighteen is selected to compete in 'The Hunger Games,' a competition that has two contestants from each district fight to the death until there is one remaining victor. The games, which remind the districts never to rise up against their overlords at the Capital, are an annual tradition dreaded by the community. When Katniss's younger singer, Prim (Willow Shields), is selected to compete, Katniss does the unthinkable and volunteers herself as a tribute to the games to fight in place of her sister. Alongside her fellow District 12 competitor, Peeta (Josh Hutchinson), Katniss must learn to survive to make it back to her family, and in doing so, she starts a revolution.

The incredible performances by Lawrence, Hutchinson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Stanley Tucci, matched with the production and costume design, perfectly brought the novel's world to life. Upon its release, the film was a box office smash, easily greenlighting the next three films: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II, and the prequel film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Like Civil War, The Hunger Games takes us into a future where a group of fighters must rise up and regain control of their lives.

WATCH ON NETFLIX

'The Book of Eli' (2010)

Drifter Eli (Denzel Washington) has been wandering the post-apocalyptic landscape of North America for the last thirty years, carrying with him a unique book. Using his hunting skills and ability to find items in the destroyed houses around him, he continues on his journey until he finds himself in a village ruled by a mobster named Carnegie (Gary Oldman). When Carnegie understands Eli's impressive fighting skills, he offers him a place in his gang; however, the discovery of the mysterious book that Eli carries becomes the focus of everyone's attention. Eli must fight to survive, not only in the wasteland of the world he lives in but also to keep possession of his book, which might hold the key to the survival of the human race, safe.

The film co-stars Mila Kunis (Black Swan), Ray Stevenson (Thor), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), and Evan Jones (Den of Thieves), and was written by action film screenwriter Gary Whitta, whose previous credits include films like After Earth and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It was recently announced that a prequel to Book of Eli starring Star Wars: The Force Awakens actor John Boyega is in the works, telling the story of Eli's life before the events in the 2010 film. It's reported that the prequel will take place thirty years before the events of its predecessor, and Book of Eli fans will know that this means we will see the beginning of Eli's journey as he begins his thirty-year-long walk.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO