Netflix has released the official trailer for War Machine, an action-packed sci-fi thriller that sends Alan Ritchson into survival mode when an elite military training exercise goes awry. Watch the trailer above, then read on to find out more about the mission, the cast, and what makes this a lean, crowd-pleasing watch.
Training exercises with a fast spiral
The trailer centers on the final stages of selection for the U.S. Army Rangers, with Ritchson playing 81, one of the Rangers’ top soldiers. What started as a controlled 24-hour endurance exercise quickly turned into something far more dangerous as the team found themselves fighting for survival against what was described as an “unimaginable threat”.
The threat is a towering, weaponized machine that appears to be purpose-built for murder. The trailer doesn’t explicitly confirm what it is or where it came from, but it clearly seems to be alien technology. Either way, it’s kill or be killed soon, as this high-tech monster corners 81 and his squad. “Whatever it is, it’s aiming at us. And it won’t stop,” 81 tells the team. It appears later that the danger may have been greater than originally thought. “It doesn’t matter to us anymore,” he says. “It’s a warning to everyone that something is going to happen.”
Alan Ritchson front and center
As for why he’s drawn to roles like this, Ritchson told USA Today that he’s drawn to stories that push the leads to their limits. “I have no interest in playing characters who feel invincible, safe, and clean,” the Reacher star explained, adding that he wants a protagonist who is taken “to the brink of death.”
The connection with 81 was clearly deep. Ritchson said he was inspired by 81’s “unrelenting perseverance and drive” and got the number 81 tattooed on his side before filming began on War Machine. “I have a brother. I have a son. I understand the lengths that people will go to to protect and respect the people they love, no matter which way you look at it,” he said. “On this side of life, there’s no limit to how much I’ll suffer if it gives my family even a moment of peace. That’s 81 hours a day.”
“He’s someone you always want on your side in a fight, even figuratively,” Ritchson added. “It’s great to know there’s a piece of him in me, but I hope people realize there’s a piece of 81 in all of us.”
Australian director Patrick Hughes (The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Expendables 3) encouraged Ritchson to think of War Machine as a horror film, instilling “a sense of excess within the actual tension.” Ritchson said Hughes chased extreme locations and threw his cast into them, explaining that the director “found the most dangerous places on earth – mountain peaks, Class V rapids, glacial waterfalls – and said, ‘Go ahead and jump in.'” “But I’m really glad we did it. We made something so intense that it’s hard to scroll on one device and half-watch the other,” Ritchson added.
A gorgeous cast and an Australian production
The film stars Dennis Quaid as a sergeant who sidelines 81 during Ranger training due to concerns about his mental state. Quaid described “War Machine” as “a classic American action movie with a very hard-to-describe villain,” while also praising Ritchson’s presence and vulnerability, saying that the actor’s “macho exterior” belies the fact that “He’s a sensitive guy. He’s very funny to watch.”
The supporting cast includes Stephen James, Jai Courtney, Esai Morales, Keiynan Lonsdale, Daniel Webber, and Blake Richardson. War Machine was filmed in Victoria, Australia, and Hughes co-produced with Greg McLean under the HUGE FILM banner. The film is produced by Todd Lieberman and Alexander Young, with Rich Cook as producer and Valerie Bless Sharp as executive producer.
release date
War Machine begins streaming on Netflix on March 6th.
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