Skip to main content

Netflix teaser for ‘War Machine” features Brad Pitt as a high-ranking general


Netflix grabbed our attention in 2015 when it paid $30 million for the rights to the upcoming Brad Pitt film War Machine, and we’re finally getting closer to seeing if the investment was a good one. The film is due out this spring, and the streamer released the first teaser Wednesday.

Billed as “an absurdist war story for our times,” the film is inspired by journalist Michael Hastings’ 2012 nonfiction book The Operators. Written and directed by David Michod, the movie fictionalizes real-life events, resulting in sharp satire. The teaser hints at this, with Pitt’s four-star general character at one point casually saying, “No, finish your phone call. The war can wait.”

Pitt plays Dan McMahon, a confident and charismatic general who leads NATO troops in Afghanistan until a journalist’s exposé leads to his dramatic fall from grace. His character is based on Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who faced backlash after Hastings reported that he and his staff had mocked government officials, including Vice President Joe Biden. The general ended up resigning from his post and retiring from the Army not long thereafter.

The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Sir Ben Kingsley, Anthony Michael Hall, Topher Grace, Will Poulter, Lakeith Stanfield, Emory Cohen, John Magaro, R.J. Cyler, Alan Ruck, Scoot McNairy, and Meg Tilly. The lineup certainly looks bankable, but we’ll have to wait for the movie to start streaming before we know for sure.

At the time of the deal, War Machine was Netflix’s most high-profile acquisition. The streamer has since paid even more for other projects, including the forthcoming Will Smith film Bright, which cost a whopping $90 million. In comparison, War Machine may be a bargain.

The film premieres on Netflix on May 26.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Discovery+ raises price for ad-free subscriptions
HBO Max and Discovery+ app icons.

The Discovery+ streaming service survived the mega-merger that birthed Warner Bros. Discovery, and also still exists following the launch of the combined Max service. But we might well see more folks make the switch now that Discovery+ has announced a pricing increase.

The "ad-lite" option — that's the one that has advertising in the on-demand content — will remain unchanged in the U.S. But if you want to get rid of ads, you'll have to pay $9 a month going forward, up from $7 a month. (That's just about a 29% increase if you do the math.)

Read more
3 rom-coms on Netflix you need to watch in October
Two people look at each other in Love at First Sight.

Romantic comedies are feel-good movies. They provide the audience with a feeling of love and satisfaction as a romantic relationship develops onscreen. Rom-coms are the perfect escapist movies because they are usually set in beautiful locations, transporting the audience into a world they want to experience.

Some of the best romantic comedies are on Netflix right now. For October, we chose three rom-coms you need to watch, including a mathematical love story, a budding relationship in the skies, and a film starring the queen of rom-coms, Julia Roberts.
Love at First Sight (2023)

Read more
Apple TV+ reveals 2023 holiday programs for kids and families
Phoenix Laroche and Samantha Colley in The Velveteen Rabbit.

Halloween may be around the corner, but Apple TV+ is looking even further ahead with its holiday programs. You won't even have to wait until next month to see what's new on Apple TV+, because Apple Studios has announced the full lineup of its holiday specials for kids and families. The biggest attraction is a new adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit, which will arrive ahead of Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 22.

Several Apple original series will have special holiday episodes, including Frog and Toad, Shape Island, Sago Mini Friends, and The Snoopy Show. Additionally, the classic Peanuts animated specials will stream for free, including It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Read more