The New Civil War Trailer Sets Lincoln’s Legacy on Fire

We’ve already gotten one scary look at Civil War, and the new trailer for Alex Garland’s near-future action thriller is just as chilling—it’s light on fresh plot details, but heavy on disturbing atmosphere. America has splintered into factions at war with each other, with civilians, cities, and even beloved national monuments in the crosshairs.

Happy, uh, Presidents Day? Along with Kirsten Dunst (as a journalist on the front lines) and Nick Offerman (as the President of the United States, such as they are), the cast includes Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jesse Plemons, Sonoya Mizuno, Jefferson White, and Karl Glusman.

Speaking to Empire Magazine earlier this month, Garland explained that Civil War isn’t as deep into genre as his earlier works Annihilation, Ex Machina, or 28 Days later. “I’ve seen it described as sci-fi, but I don’t see it as sci-fi at all. There’s no ‘sci’ in it, for a start,” he said. He also teased the plot, which follows Dunst’s character and others as they cross the embattled country and report on what they see. “Journalists are vilified, often, by all sorts of different people … It’s not necessarily a side of a political spectrum. And the truth is that if you want a government with checks and balances, you need journalists,” he said, noting that the importance of journalism is a big theme in the movie.

Civil War arrives April 12. Are you ready?

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

We’ve already gotten one scary look at Civil War, and the new trailer for Alex Garland’s near-future action thriller is just as chilling—it’s light on fresh plot details, but heavy on disturbing atmosphere. America has splintered into factions at war with each other, with civilians, cities, and even beloved national monuments in the crosshairs.

Happy, uh, Presidents Day? Along with Kirsten Dunst (as a journalist on the front lines) and Nick Offerman (as the President of the United States, such as they are), the cast includes Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jesse Plemons, Sonoya Mizuno, Jefferson White, and Karl Glusman.

Speaking to Empire Magazine earlier this month, Garland explained that Civil War isn’t as deep into genre as his earlier works Annihilation, Ex Machina, or 28 Days later. “I’ve seen it described as sci-fi, but I don’t see it as sci-fi at all. There’s no ‘sci’ in it, for a start,” he said. He also teased the plot, which follows Dunst’s character and others as they cross the embattled country and report on what they see. “Journalists are vilified, often, by all sorts of different people … It’s not necessarily a side of a political spectrum. And the truth is that if you want a government with checks and balances, you need journalists,” he said, noting that the importance of journalism is a big theme in the movie.

Civil War arrives April 12. Are you ready?

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.