Andrew Niccol’s 2005 film Lord of War does not immediately seem like a movie in need of a sequel. Starring Nicolas Cage in one of his finer roles before going off the deep end for a while, it centered on arms dealer Yuri Orlov, largely based on the real-life merchant of death Viktor Bout. The box office was pretty good with $72M, and so were the reviews. Now, more than two decades later, Cage is back as the gun-running Yuri in Lords of War, joined by Bill Skarsgård.
Lords of War finds Yuri learning that his estranged son Anton, played by Skarsgård, has no interest in taking over his Dad’s family business. Instead, Anton is building his own criminal empire by exploiting conflicts in the Middle East, leading to a power struggle with Yuri.
The film also stars Laura Harrier, Sylvia Hoeks, and Greg Tarzan Davis.
Niccol is best known for directing Gattaca, S1M0NE, and In Time. He most recently directed the 2024 live-action/animated film I, Object, which never opened here in the U.S.
I have to admit, a sequel to Lord of War, a film I really love, didn’t interest me at all until this trailer. I like that Niccol has switched gears from the international arms trade to the private military contractors who continue spreading war around the world.
Lords of War hits theaters on January 22nd 2027, via Vertical.
