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The 30 Best War Movies on Netflix Right Now

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The 30 Best War Movies on Netflix Right Now

From patriotic films and public service announcements to retellings of historical events, the subject of war in cinema has evolved into a genre of its own and is now an important artistic expression of people and politics. But why are war movies so popular among viewers, filmmakers, and critics alike? It’s not because anyone wants to see the atrocities that wars bring with them but because we want to see the story behind the scenes and be somewhere we haven’t been or learn something that no one should ever have to experience directly in real life.

Most of the time, war movies gain popularity among fans not just for the heroism or the glorified portrayal of events but for the atmosphere they create. War movies, as grim as they might be, are a way of turning the most horrific acts of human society into a compelling and immersive work of art. It recreates history for future generations and evokes empathy, pushing us to be better as a species. Stories of war make its machinations more humanized for us, bring us closer to things we often distance ourselves from, and give us a different perspective.

This genre of movies has a very special place in filmmaking and finds fans across all categories. So, we did some digging and found these titles that you cannot miss. Here’s a list of the best war movies you can watch on Netflix right now. In this list, there are heroic sacrifices, psychological struggles, political conspiracies, historical events, and more. Whether you are a history buff or just eager to learn about the past, these Netflix war movies are sure to fulfill all your entertainment goals.

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Related:The 75 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Writer: John Milius, Francis Ford Coppola

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Cast: Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne, Christian Marquand, Aurore Clément, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper

If you have seen the original classic Apocalypse Now, then this should be your follow-up. And if you haven’t, then this should be on the top of your classic war movies list. This epic psychological war film is considered to be one of the best works of award-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. In 1979, Coppola made Apocalypse Now, and then 22 years later, he released an extended version titled Apocalypse Now Redux. This 2001 movie is technically a re-edit of Apocalypse Now, which includes about 50 minutes of additional material that was not there in the original version.

Set during the Vietnam War, the plot follows the journey of U.S. Army Captain Benjamin L. Willard (Martin Sheen) from South Vietnam to Cambodia on the Nung River. Willard is sent on a mission to take out Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a rebel officer of the Army Special Forces, who is accused of murder and is also considered to have lost his mind. What follows is an intense interaction between the two men and a mind game that would leave you with a lot of questions. Suspenseful and cerebral, Apocalypse Now is nothing like all the other war movies you would have seen before and it’s a major cultural milestone in cinematic history.

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Director: David Michôd

Writer: David Michôd and Joel Edgerton

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, Tom Glynn-Carney, Lily-Rose Depp, Thomasin McKenzie, Robert Pattinson, and Ben Mendelsohn.

Though based on and made as an epic, The King is technically a movie about a historical war. The story is based on William Shakespeare’s Henriad. Adapted from three different plays about Henry IV and Henry V, the plot focuses on Henry V, the eldest son of King Henry IV of England. The prince is an emotionally distant and disenchanted individual, who experiences a turnaround of life and character after his father’s death. Henry must navigate his emotions, royal politics, and the adversaries that his father left behind and become the rightful king that his kingdom expects him to be.

The tone of The King is very classic Shakespearean, as you would imagine. While there’s no constant sword-crossing, there are a couple of significant and historical battles which are quite brutal and make this movie fit well into the war genre.

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Director: Spike Lee

Writer: Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee

Cast: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Jean Reno, Chadwick Boseman

There are the usual stories of Vietnam war vets and then there’s Da 5 Bloods. An acclaimed and still underrated movie, to say the least, Da 5 Bloods is a powerful story that would be hard to forget if you watch it once.

Co-written and directed by Spike Lee, the movie follows a group of black Vietnam veterans who reunite in Vietnam after years to search for the remains of their squad leader and a buried treasure they had left behind when they were serving in the war. You may not look at it as a “war story” per se, but this is war-adjacent and shows enough of the struggle and trauma that wars bring to people, even if it’s years later. While the journey of these old war vets reconnecting with their past is very emotional, the performances are the real delight. Also, Chadwick Boseman’s work is something to look out for.

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Defiance

Director: Edward Zwick

Writer: Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick

Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, Allan Corduner, Mark Feuerstein

Based on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec, this movie follows the true story of three Polish Jewish brothers, who saved and recruited Jews in Belarus during World War II. The plot revolves around the events of 1941, in Nazi-occupied Poland.

When the parents of the Bielski family are killed, the four brothers manage to survive and flee to the nearby forest. What was once their childhood playground, turns into a battleground, where they vow to avenge their parent’s death. The Bielski brothers, Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber), Asael (Jamie Bell), and Aron (George Mackay), meet fellow survivors and join hands with them, forming a rebellion group with one goal: to wipe out as many Nazis as they can.

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First They Killed My Father

Director: Angelina Jolie

Writer: Loung Ung, Angelina Jolie

Cast: Sreymoch Sareum, Kompheak Phoeung, Socheata Sveng, Dara Heng, Kimhak Mun

Loung Ung, a Cambodian-American author and human rights activist, penned her personal experience as a little girl during the Khmer Rouge regime in her book First They Killed My Father. The eponymous movie is a cinematic recount of the same incidents that took place in the 1970s, during the Vietnam War. When Ung was seven years old, her parents and siblings were sent to labor camps and she was forced into training as a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer-language biographical historical thriller, directed by Angelina Jolie, explores the traumatic events in Ung and her family’s life in the camps and how she and some of her siblings manage to escape and eventually reunite.

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Although the movie is a dramatized retelling of the true story, the struggles of Ung and her family as depicted are quite horrific and painful. But at the same time, it also gives a first-person insight into the events of the Vietnam war, parts of which are still unknown to many.

Too Young the Hero

Director: Buzz Kulik

Writer: Calvin Graham, Gary Thomas, David J. Kinghorn

Cast: Ricky Schroder, R. Pickett Bugg, Jon DeVries, Rick Warner, Mary-Louise Parker, Debra Mooney, Ron Shelley, Christopher Dioni, Carl Mueller, Tom Wood, Christopher Curry.

Another war movie based on true events, Too Young the Hero is a fictional retelling of the life of Calvin Graham, who was jailed as a deserter after becoming a WWII hero. Graham is also known to be the youngest American serviceman to serve and fight in WWII.

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Set in 1942, this historical war drama film follows a 12-year-old Graham, who joins the United States Navy in Houston. Though he is only 12, he looks older than his age and he forges his mother’s signature to enlist in the navy. After completing basic training, he is assigned to the USS South Dakota to fight the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. But after the war, things take a bad turn when his officers learn the truth about his age and send him to a military prison. The story is told through a series of flashbacks to all the events that led Graham to prison. There are many elements in this movie that makes it a great watch – the story of a young boy doing the most daring thing one could imagine, wanting adventure in his life, a soldier fighting at all costs for his country, and a man fighting for his truth.


Director: David Michôd

Writer: David Michôd

Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Michael Hall, Anthony Hayes, Topher Grace, Will Poulter, Tilda Swinton, and Ben Kingsley.

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There is nothing humorous about war but sometimes, the best way to understand the most complex and brutal things is to add some humor to them. War Machine is such a movie. The satirical, dark war comedy is set to the backdrop of the Afghanistan war and is based on the non-fiction book, The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by Michael Hastings.

The plot follows madcap four-star U.S General Glen MacMahon, played by Brad Pitt, who is sent to Afghanistan with a mission to end the war. The catch is he can’t request more troops but MacMahon goes ahead and decides to recruit 40,000 additional troops. His decision leads to a series of unpredictable consequences, including press coverage and an exposé that discredits him and jeopardizes his mission. The movie is a dramatized and fictionalized account of the events of Hastings’ book with MacMahon’s character derived from U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal. With its quirky, tongue-in-cheek narrative, this movie is sure to make you look at the whole concept of war in a different way. And of course, there’s a subtle lesson at the end.


Director: Paul Greengrass

Writer: Brian Helgeland

Cast: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Khalid Abdalla, Jason Isaacs

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Yet another intriguing war story based on the non-fictional book Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Green Zone is one of the most intriguing war thrillers made in recent years. Set during the Iraq war, the plot follows the U.S. Army mission to search for Weapons of Mass Destruction, believed to be hidden in Iraq. Matt Damon plays the role of Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, who leads a team to find the said weapons. But instead, they end up discovering some very disturbing information about a bigger, more complicated political and military cover-up than they or anyone would have expected. This movie has a lot of classic war action that beautifully balances with the cerebral elements that will leave you reconsidering a lot of the facts that you thought you knew.

Related: Why Most Movies about the Iraq War Failed

Tears of the Sun

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Writer: Alex Lasker, Patrick Cirillo

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Cast: Bruce Willis, Monica Bellucci, Cole Hauser, Tom Skerritt

If you want a classic war story, then this is a movie to watch. And Bruce Willis, as always, never disappoints as the action hero at the heart of it all. The movie follows a U.S Navy SEAL team on a rescue mission in Nigeria. Set during the civil war in Nigeria, it centers on Lieutenant A.K. Waters (Willis) who must rescue U.S citizen Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks (Monica Bellucci) from a hospital in the middle of a jungle. To succeed in his mission, Waters and his team have to fight off the rebels invading the jungle.

A pretty simple and straightforward plot, Tears of the Sun is quite exciting and entertaining, as far as action-thrillers go. And to pique your interest a little more, here’s a bit of trivia: the cast of this movie includes actual refugees living in the United States along with the Lost Boys of Sudan.


The Wolf’s Call

Director: Antonin Baudry

Writer: Antonin Baudry

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Cast: François Civil, Omar Sy, Mathieu Kassovitz, Reda Kateb, Paula Beer, Alexis Michalik, Jean-Yves Berteloot, Damien Bonnard

This 2019 movie is a peek into a grittier, darker narrative that many don’t associate French cinema with. The Wolf’s Call, or Le Chant du loup in French, follows the events surrounding the members on board the French submarine Titane. On a rescue mission, they pick up an unidentified sonar contact. Officer Chanteraide, known to have an infallible sense of hearing, must use his skills to track down what appears to be a nuclear threat. But as is the case with most of such incidents, he makes a mistake, putting the mission and his crew at risk. To know what happens next, or whether he saves the day, you have to watch the movie. The Wolf’s Call was highly acclaimed and well-reviewed among fans and critics alike. So, it’s definitely worth a shot.


Shadow

Director: Zhang Yimou

Writer: Wei Li, Zhang Yimou

Cast: Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, Leo Wu, Wang Jingchun

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Now, warfare doesn’t always have to involve modern firepower or global political conspiracies. War stories can be epic, poetic, even fantasy-like. Legendary Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou proves it so once again, with this 2018 feature. Titled Ying in Chinese, the wuxia film explores the story of an ambitious general during the Three Kingdom period in China. At the center of the story is Commander Ziyu (Deng Chao), who is determined to achieve victory over his rival kingdom and devises an intricate master plan to that end.

What’s striking in this movie, like most of Yimou’s works, is the narrative and its presentation. While there are some loose references to real, historical events, Shadow hinges more on the mythical, mystical, and theatrical aspects of those legends. Yes, there’s warfare and an abundance of it, but the narrative focuses more on the backstory and the machinations that lead to the actual battles. With the larger-than-life visual display in colors, costumes, and backdrops, this movie is like watching poetry unfold on screen.


Director: Chris Weitz

Writer: Matthew Orton

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Mélanie Laurent, Lior Raz, Nick Kroll, Haley Lu Richardson

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This is technically not about war but rather the aftermath of war and depicts real-life events that ensued following World War II. Set in the 1960s, Operational Finale is based on the hunt for and capture of former SS officer Adolf Eichmann and the plot follows the efforts of Mossad officers.

When the movie picks up, WWII has ended 15 years earlier but there are many Nazi officers and others involved in the Holocaust hiding underground around the world. A team of Israeli intelligence agents is on a hunt for Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), an SS war criminal and Holocaust mastermind who organized the transportation of Jews to the concentration camps. Mossad agents spot him in Argentina and set plans in motion to capture him and bring him to trial. But, as expected, the capture of Eichmann doesn’t go down easily and leads to a whole lot of drama and tension. The narrative is essentially like a spy-thriller set in the ’60s with a lot of suspenseful moments to keep you on the edge of your seat. And the ensemble cast only makes it better. This is a must-watch.


The 12th Man

Director: Harald Zwart

Writer: Petter Skavlan (credited as Alex Boe)

Cast: Thomas Gullestad, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen, Maria Grazia Di Meo

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This Norwegian historical drama-thriller is one of the best European war movies made in recent years. The plot is adapted from the 2001 book Jan Baalsrud and Those Who Saved Him by Tore Haug and Astrid Karlsen Scott. The 12th Man is an inspiring retelling of actual historical events that happened in 1943 in Norway. It follows the story of Norwegian resistance fighter Jan Baalsrud (Thomas Gullestad) and his heroic cross-country escape from Nazi-occupied Norway.

In a failed Nazi sabotage mission with the Allied forces in Norway, Baalsrud loses 11 of his soldiers and has no choice but to somehow escape the Gestapo. The movie revolves around his flight across Scandinavia and where he eventually ends up. Or not. It’s a gripping story of courage and determination, of one man’s fight to survive the most horrific period of human history.


The Siege of Jadotville

Director: Richie Smyth

Writer: Kevin Brodbin

Cast: Jamie Dornan, Mark Strong, Mikael Persbrandt, Jason O’Mara, Danny Sapani, Michael McElhatton, Guillaume Canet

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Based on the 2005 book The Siege of Jadotville: The Irish Army’s Forgotten Battle by Declan Power, this action-drama war film explores the Irish Army’s role in a UN peacekeeping mission in Congo. The story is set in 1961 when a small unit of the Irish Army is stationed in the mining town of Jadotville in Congo to hold off the civil war following the death of the Congolese Prime Minister. The unit, led by Connor Cruise O’Brien (Mark Strong) fights the local mercenaries and Katangese forces for five days before Jadotville is sieged. What happens after that is exactly why you need to watch this movie. Highly acclaimed and well-received among fans and critics, The Siege of Jadotville exposes you to the brutality of war and is a reminder of a significant historical event that might otherwise have been forgotten.


Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

Writer: Cary Joji Fukunaga

Cast: Idris Elba, Kurt Egyiawan, Jude Akuwudike, Emmanuel “King King” Nii Adom Quaye, Abraham Attah

Award-winning filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga, of No Time to Die and True Detective fame, directed and wrote this war drama movie adapted from the eponymous novel by Uzodinma Iweala. Beasts of No Nation is a war movie in all senses of the phrase, featuring endless battles.

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It follows a young boy named Agu in a small region in West Africa in the middle of a horrifying civil war. As the war tears his country apart, Agu is forced to join a team of rebels and is trained as a child soldier to fight in the war. The rebel leader takes Agu and his fellow soldiers down a violent and bloody path. Like most of Fukunaga’s works, this story will leave you with a nightmarish feeling, empathizing with the trauma that the young child soldiers experience in such war-torn regions.


Sand Castle

Director: Fernando Coimbra

Writer: Chris Roessner

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Logan Marshall-Green, Henry Cavill, Glen Powell, Beau Knapp, Neil Brown Jr., Tommy Flanagan

The story of this movie is taken directly from the personal experiences of its writer, Chris Roessner. Sand Castle revolves around Private Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), a young soldier in the United States Army who is stationed in Baghdad during the Iraq War. Ocre is assigned the task of restoring the water supply in a small village but his mission is not as simple as he thought. The events that follow are terrifying and emotional at the same time. With convincing performances by the cast members and a powerful story, this Netflix original movie promises a good watch.

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Sarajevo

Director: Andreas Prochaska

Writer: Martin Ambrosch, Kurt Mündl

Cast: Florian Teichtmeister, Reinhard Forcher, Michaela Ehrenstein, Eugen Knecht

We all know and have heard of how the First World War started. How about getting deeper into the details of what exactly went down? On June 28, 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, were shot during their visit to Sarajevo. Their assassination sparked a chain of events that eventually triggered the four-year war that shook the globe.

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This German-Austrian biographical television film lays down the series of incidents leading to and following the assassination of the Archduke. Dr. Leo Pfeffer, an Austrian examining magistrate, is appointed by the authorities to find out who is responsible for the attack. Pfeffer soon finds himself in the middle of shady politicians and their conspiracies. As he tries to dig deeper and gets closer to the facts, he gets drawn into an ugly web of corruption, where it gets difficult for him to draw the line between good and bad.

The movie is not only a retelling of a vital historical event but also lets you look into the machinations of one of the biggest, life-changing events of modern civilization. For all fans of history, war stories or not, Sarajevo is a must-watch.

The Photographer of Mauthausen

Director: Mar Targarona

Writer: Roger Danès, Alfred Pérez Fargas

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Cast: Mario Casas, Alain Hernandez, Macarena Gomez, Mac Rodriguez

Another movie based on real-life events, this Spanish historical biography drama retells the true story of Spanish photographer and civil war veteran Francisco Boix during his time at the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex in Austria. The movie is centered around Boix (Mario Casas), a prisoner at the Nazi concentration camp in Mauthausen, and his attempts to collect and save photographic evidence of what happens inside the camp. From the horrific treatment of millions of innocent Jews to all the atrocities committed by the Nazi officers, the photographer records it all. Boix and his fellow prisoners risk their lives and do anything to hide the negatives from the officers and other people who would want it all gone.

The Photographer of Mauthausen is a moving story of one man trying to fight for justice and an insight into the dreadful realities of life in those camps.

Related:The Best Spanish-Language Movies on Netflix Right Now

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The Men Who Stare at Goats

Director: Grant Heslov

Writer: Peter Straughan

Cast: George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor

When it comes to winning a war, how far would politicians and bureaucrats go? This movie will show you the extent to which armies are trained to oust their enemies. The Men Who Stare at Goats explores an uncanny, unnatural angle to warfare – the use of psychic powers. Unbelievable, isn’t it?

The movie is a fictionalized account of an actual investigation into the U.S military engaging psychic powers as a weapon, documented in the non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Ronson in 2004. The story is essentially a dark, satirical comedy set against the backdrop of the Iraq War. It follows an Ann Arbor reporter named Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) who goes to Kuwait to report on the war after his wife leaves him.

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With nothing holding him back and also to prove himself to his wife, Bob lands on a story that would change his life and career. He meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a retired U.S Army Special Forces operator, who claims that he was once a part of a unit that trained people to become psychic spies, quite like the Jedis. These spies were skilled with parapsychological abilities like invisibility, remote viewing/sensing, and phasing, among others. It’s strangely intriguing and fascinating and gives an unexpected angle to what we know of war movies. Whether all these things exist for real or not is secondary but as a movie it’s great, complemented by the A-list lead cast.

Director: Todd Phillips

Writer: Stephen Chin, Todd Phillips, Jason Smilovic

Cast: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Ana de Armas, Bradley Cooper

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Another dark war comedy, War Dogs is one of those war-adjacent movies that will definitely ease the trauma of other intense stories on this list. Adapted from a Rolling Stone article of the same title by Guy Lawson, War Dogs follows two American youngsters and their path to becoming arms dealers.

The movie centers on Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) and David Packouz (Miles Teller) who get into the business of selling arms to the U.S government for the ongoing Iraq War. They somehow manage to convince the army and land a contract of $300 million to supply ammunition to the Afghan National Army. It’s a story of two friends, and their wild and crazy ride of war, corruption, and ambition. Although based on true events and real characters, the movie is highly dramatized and takes a very satirical look at warfare and the arms trade.


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Wait, Is Warner Bros Scrapping Its $70 Million Batgirl Movie? Rumors Are Swirling

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Wait, Is Warner Bros Scrapping Its  Million Batgirl Movie? Rumors Are Swirling

After years of anticipation from DC fans, Warner Bros finally found a way to introduce Barbara Gordon to live-action, announcing a solo movie for the hero with the developing Leslie Grace-led film. Batgirl, which finished filming earlier this year, has been scheduled to hit HBO Max sometime this year, however according to a number of new reports, Warner Bros doesn’t want Batgirl to see the light of day. Outlets are reporting that $70 million project is being scrapped after test screenings scared off the studio on the movie. 

Batgirl has been called “irredeemable” by a reported “top Hollywood source” found by The NY Post. Per the report, the movie will be “shelved,” but it has yet to be confirmed by the studio if it’s purely a rumor or a bombshell piece of news for one of Warner Bros’ upcoming DC movies.  

The Wrap backed up this report, sharing it had additionally heard via insiders that the movie “did not work” for studio executives – made by Bad Boys For Life and Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah for a reported budget of over $70 million (though it may have ultimately cost the studio $90 million by the time cameras finished rolling). 

The news could perhaps be the product of the recent change in Warner Bros’ leadership, with CEO David Zaslav becoming the new big boss since WB merged with Discovery. There was some rumored talk of the previous WB chair Toby Emmerich considering Batgirl for a theatrical release rather than a HBO Max exclusive, however, but the new reports suggest the film isn’t testing to the level of a big-screen project and may be removed from getting any kind of release. 

Batgirl would not only introduce Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon, but is features a stacked cast including the return of Michael Keaton as Batman and J.K. Simmons as James Gordon. Brendan Fraser plays the film’s villain, Ted Carson a.k.a. Firefly. It’s arguably unheard of for a project as high-profile as this one to lose any form of avenue for distribution. 

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Apparently, a move like this is not uncharacteristic for Warner Bros’ new CEO, however, who previously shut down the failed streaming service CNN+ weeks after it launched (it reportedly cost $300 million to put together). There is some restructuring of DC projects currently underway behind the scenes, with David Zaslav on the search for a someone to fill a role much like Marvel boss Kevin Feige has at Marvel Studios. 

Coming off San Diego Comic-Con late last month, Marvel Studios announced and showcased a lineup of projects planned until 2025 including two more Avengers films, whilst DC did not bring anything from Batgirl to its panel. Instead, Warner Bros chose to only focus on Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Black Adam, both of which have set release dates later this year. Warner Bros. Discovery is set to report its earnings for this past business quarter on Thursday; it’s possible we’ll learn more then. 

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High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: 5 Feelings I Had While Watching The Season 3 Premiere

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High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: 5 Feelings I Had While Watching The Season 3 Premiere

What time is it? Summer time!

Well, that’s what the students of East High are saying in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. I know, the name is a mouthful, but honestly, this show is a whole lot of fun and if you haven’t watched it, you definitely should. The first two seasons were great, from the songs in Season 1 to the drama in Season 2, and when it was announced that the series would be getting a Season 3 and 4, I was all on board. 

Now that I have watched the first episode of Season 3, I am even more excited for the next episodes to come, and that premiere has me all in my feelings – specifically these five. 

Nostalgic  

Man, this show makes me so nostalgic for when I was younger. 

Don’t get me wrong, I would never travel back in time to then, just because I was so young and didn’t know half the stuff I know now, but there is just something about listening to the soundtrack of some of these original songs from the High School Musical movies that just get me. While we don’t get many songs in the first episode, we get the classic, “What Time Is It” from High School Musical 2 within the few three minutes of the show and ugh, the memories. 

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If you were a tween or kid back in 2007 and watched HSM2 when it premiered on Disney Channel, you know this song just as well as I do. And for years, I sang this song on the last day of school – heck, I still sing it now whenever warm weather comes around and I’m two years out of college. I love this music, and I can already tell from just this first episode that this season is going to make me so nostalgic. 

Curiosity

I’m really curious to see what they’re going to do with this camp in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. 

For those who don’t know, the first two seasons of this series were pretty much based around the first film’s premise. The show takes place in a world where the movies exist, but instead of the actors from the High School Musical cast that we’re familiar with, we are introduced to students who are auditioning for those iconic roles. And over the last two seasons, we’ve watched them grow into brilliant performers while singing in productions of both High School Musical and Beauty and the Beast, with covers and original songs all along the way. 

But the whole entire point of the first two seasons was that this show took place in the same high school where the movies were filmed. So it’s only natural to think that the second season might end up happening at the country club that was in High School Musical 2, but nope – we are at a summer camp, something that was never talked about in the original movies. 

The arrival of everyone coming to this summer camp is fun, but it makes me wonder how they’re going to include the songs from High School Musical 2 into this season when it’s not at the same location as the film, but it’s still interesting to watch, nonetheless. 

Proud 

Dude, I love Olivia Rodrigo – and I mean that. This girl has done so much these last two years and watching her in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is always a joy. 

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But what really makes me so proud of her is that I’m not even just proud of the actress, but the character as well. Nini is this young star who is a little afraid to take these big risks but she does so anyway, knowing that she has this big break she can’t lose, which was the big theme of this first episode. She goes away on this road trip with a producer over the summer so she can record songs, giving her that shot, and I am so proud of her for doing that. 

Olivia Rodrigo plays her perfectly, and while I know that her character was demoted to a guest role thanks to Rodrigo’s budding music career, I can’t help but be proud, because wow, she has blown up. It makes me want to watch her documentary on Disney+ again

Eagerness 

I know I said earlier on that I was curious as to how they’re going to really change up this season with this new location. But, about twenty minutes in, I genuinely was feeling eager to see where this show would go – specifically the dynamics of new characters. 

For two seasons, we have pretty much been surrounded by the same characters, and while we have grown to love them, I think this season was the one where we truly needed a change in not only scenery, but characters as well. And this first episode brought a ton of them in. 

One of the scenes that got me really eager to see what happens with these new characters was when Gina, Ashlyn and Kourtney, three clear as day theater kids, find out they have to share a cabin with Gadget (a new character) and two other girls – and you can clearly tell at first that they are not feeling the vibe, and you can almost smell the problems from a mile away. 

That screams great television, and it’s got me wondering how much more drama this show is going to produce over the next episodes with these new dynamics. I’m so eager to see. 

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Excitement

Seeing Corbin Bleu in the premiere episode made me very excited to see where this fictionalized version of him is going to go next. 

Usually, when it comes to the original members from the High School Musical movies, we’ll get some pictures from them from the old high school – like Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron both recently taking pics there in 2022 – but I didn’t think anyone would come back to the show. We had Lucas Grabeel and Kaycee Stroh in Season 1 but no one in Season 2, so I’m super pumped to see Corbin Bleu back for this season.

Not only that, but Jason Earles. Do you guys know who he is? The moment I saw him as Dewey, the director of Camp Shallow Lake, I practically screamed. This man is Disney Channel royalty. He was not only a co-star on Hannah Montana but also on Kickin’ It and I can’t believe he is in another Disney show and it has me so excited. 

I’m not sure how often he and Bleu are going to be on the show, but I know for a fact that those two appearing on that stage has me excited for what this season holds and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Could Zac Efron be next?

What are you guys looking forward to with Season 3 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series? All I know is that if I don’t get a cover of “Fabulous” by Carlos in this season, I will riot. I demand it, Disney+!

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The School For Good And Evil: 6 Quick Things We Know About The Netflix Movie

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The School For Good And Evil: 6 Quick Things We Know About The Netflix Movie

Book adaptations of big-time novels always seem to go over well with audiences, and have for plenty of years, with movie sagas such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings taking over the box office. But, a newcomer is arriving on the movie scene, one which should have been adapted almost as soon as it came out, if you ask me.

The School for Good and Evil, an amazing addition to the fantasy genre, is finally getting its own adaptation into the film world – but not in theaters. However, it will be appearing as a Netflix movie, on the popular streaming website. However, what else do we know about this upcoming film? What is it going to be about? Who is going to be in it? There are plenty of things that you might not know, but we do. Here are some quick things we know about the upcoming Netflix film.

(Image credit: Netflix)

The School For Good And Evil Release Date Is Set For October 21

Mark your calendars, fantasy lovers, as The School for Good and Evil is going to be coming out as part of the 2022 movie release schedule! Announced with the official poster from the Netflix Twitter page, it was confirmed that The School for Good and Evil would release on the popular streaming platform in Fall 2022, specifically on October 21. 

Talk about a great addition to all the fun Halloween movies we’ll be watching during that time of year – I can always use a little good and evil in my life. 

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Sofia Wylie in The School for Good and Evil.

(Image credit: Netflix)

The School For Good And Evil Has A Star-Studded Cast

With an adaptation like The School for Good and Evil, we all knew that the cast needed to be amazing. And, luckily, there’s no shortage of amazing additions to this Netflix movie. First, let’s take a look at the two leads characters of the film, Sophie and Agatha, where the story begins. These two roles will be played by Sophia Anna Caruso, known for her role in the Broadway musical Beetlejuice, and Sofia Wylie, who stars on a Disney+  show you really should watch, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Wylie is especially excited for her role in The School for Good and Evil. In an interview with MTV, she talked about her part as Agatha and how she’s excited to “bring some realness” to the character that hadn’t been seen before. She described Agatha’s struggles with internal and external beauty through her own experience, saying that it’s something she can relate to and that it’s an important message to teach.

That’s something that I personally can really relate to, that voice inside of your head, how much power it has. I deal with those doubts and those insecurities. And I think I can really bring some realness to Agatha in that sense because I know, as a teenage girl, it can be very difficult to overcome that voice.

Adding on to this cast, Deadline reported that two megastars, Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington, signed on for two of the main roles in the upcoming film. Theron is set to play Lady Lesso, and Washington will portray a teacher at the school, Professor Dovey.

In addition to these two, in another article, Deadline reported that Laurence Fishburne, known for his roles in The Matrix trilogy and many other films, as well as action star Michelle Yeoh, from movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Crazy Rich Asians, and her TV role in Star Trek: Discovery, have stepped up to be in The School for Good and Evil. Fishburne will play the Schoolmaster – a role that sounds quite fitting for someone of his talents, and Yeoh will portray another teacher, Professor Anemone.

Also for the film, Demi Isaac Oviawe, Kaitlyn Akinpelumi, and Freya Theodora Parks will play Anadil, Dot and Hester, three young women who are a part of The Coven in The School for Good and Evil, as confirmed by a behind-the-scenes look with the author of the original novel, Soman Chainani on YouTube.

Already, this film is shaping up to be filled to the brim with some of the Hollywood elite. I, for one, can’t wait to see what they do with the material they are given, because it’s about to get magical.

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Charlize Theron in The School for Good and Evil.

(Image credit: Netflix)

The School For Good And Evil Will Follow The Bestselling Book Series

For those who don’t know, The School for Good and Evil is composed of several novels in a series. Netflix confirmed that this new movie will be based on the series by Soman Chainani, and from the premise of the film, it’s looking to be exactly like the first novel.

As confirmed by the description from the trailer for the new movie on YouTube, The School for Good and Evil is going to follow two best friends, Sophia and Agatha, who are swept into a world of trying to balance both good and evil when they are given different roles, but this in turn causes their lives to turn upside down. 

I’m already on board for a story like this. Two opposing personalities who end up being trained in styles that they thought they weren’t aligned with? Thrown into unlikely situations? Fantasy elements? My god, I can almost feel the franchise coming. Netflix has a great addition with this one.

Bridesmaids Director Paul Feig Is Directing The School For Good And Evil

I don’t think there could have been another perfect choice for the director for The School for Good and Evil than Paul Feig. The legendary director has produced some of the biggest comedic hits in the last ten years. For example, Feig directed the smash-hit Bridesmaids back in 2011, the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters, the Emilia Clarke Christmas comedy Last Christmas, the comedy thriller, A Simple Favor, and so many others.

Besides movies, Paul Feig has also directed multiple episodes of several incredible sitcoms, such as The Office, Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock. The School for Good and Evil novels have an amazing comedic element to them, and I can only imagine what a comedic director like Paul Feig will bring to the table in this new film.

The castle in The School for Good and Evil.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Finding Neverland Screenwriter David Magee Wrote The Screenplay For The School For Good And Evil

When it comes to an adapted screenplay, you always have to make sure that you find the right person to do it, because with novels, there are so many details that need to somehow make it into the movie. The School for Good and Evil found its screenwriter in David Magee.

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Magee is a perfect choice, because not only has he been around the business for some time, he’s had plenty of experience in writing fantasy, working on films such as the Academy-Award winning Life of Pi, the Disney sequel Mary Poppins Returns, and wrote the screenplay for Finding Neverland, the story of the author who created the legendary character, Peter Pan. Truly, he has great experience up his sleeves, and I’m eager to see what he’ll do with the fantastic story that is The School for Good and Evil.

The bit apple in The School for Good and Evil.

(Image credit: Netflix)

The School For Good And Evil Has Finished Filming 

As you can expect for a film that already has a trailer, The School for Good and Evil finished production for their film not too long ago. From a tweet on Twitter from Netflix Geeked, it was confirmed back in July of 2021 that filming had wrapped on the film and was entering into the post-production phases. 

Watch The Trailer For The School For Good And Evil 

If you haven’t yet seen the trailer for The School for Good and Evil, be sure to watch it now, as you won’t want to miss out on the magic. 

With an amazing cast, awesome story, and some really cool looking set pieces featured in the trailer, The School for Good and Evil is looking to be an amazing addition to Netflix’s original film line-up. I can’t wait for this movie to pop up as part of the 2022 Netflix movie schedule. I’m practically counting down the days. 

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