A24 has been pretty tight-lipped with details about its upcoming dystopian action film, Civil War. However, as the film’s release, which falls in the first quarter of 2024, draws near, things are becoming clearer. A previously released poster and trailer gave the first major breakdown of what to expect, and now we’re learning via Variety the film’s official runtime. Initially, it was thought that the film, directed by Alex Garland, would have a runtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes, making it his longest-running film by a considerable amount. While the reasons behind that speculation remain unclear, it was enough to see it get listed as a 3-hour film on the official IMDb page. Variety is now clearing things up by confirming directly from A24 that the movie will in fact have a runtime of 109 minutes, just shy of the two-hour mark.

Civil War was announced to be in development in early 2022 with Garland named as the director. While the title instantly suggests that the film could be set in the time past, Civil War will instead feature a futuristic dystopian setting, a common theme among Garalnd‘s previous works including his breakout Academy Award-nominated film Ex Machina which he wrote and directed. The premise follows a group of reporters embarking on a journey through the United States amidst an intensifying civil war that has consumed the entire country. They encounter several deadly challenges along their journey in a period where the government transforms into a dystopian regime, and radical partisan groups frequently engage in political violence. The previously released trailer teases a lot of pulse-pounding action which has now become Garland‘s signature.

Garland is known for assembling big names for his projects and Civil War is no different. The film stars Kirsten Dunst as one of the central reporters traversing the country seeking answers. Joining her on the mission are Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Nick Offerman will play the President of the United States who has now become power-drunk and wants to retain power at all costs. Also starring are Jesse Plemmons, Sonoya Mizuno, Cailee Spaeny, and Sonoya Mizuno. With a production budget of $75 million, Civil War is A24‘s biggest and most expensive production to date and with that stacked cast, it’s obvious where a chunk of the money was spent. It will also be the studio’s first foray into making war films, but for a company that has shown to have the Midas touch, expectations are high for a positive outcome.

When Will ‘Civil War’ Be Released?

Being Garland‘s next project since the well-received Men released in 2022, anticipation is sky high for Civil War. Garland has teased that the film will be a companion piece to Men describing it as a “sci-fi allegory” to America’s current polarized predicament. The film will be released in theaters as well as on IMAX, on April 26, 2024. Mark your calendars and stay tuned to Collider for more details on the project.

via Collider