Nicolas Cage returns as the world’s most notorious arms dealer in the first teaser for Lords of War, the long-awaited sequel to the 2005 crime thriller Lord of War, which Vertical will release on January 22, 2027.
The story picks up years after the arms dealer’s fateful deal with a Sierra Leonean militia in Africa. His legacy is suddenly threatened by a mercenary mastermind who is building a massive private army. He soon discovers that the man is his illegitimate son, Anton.
Bill Skarsgård plays Anton, who is just as ruthless as his father. The two men compete for power, influence, and even the same woman, and are drawn into a bloody battle to the death where ambition and betrayal turn family into bitter rivals. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the US wars in the Middle East, highlighting how arms dealers fuel death and destruction for profit.
Andrew Niccol, who wrote and directed the first film, returns to write and direct the sequel. The character is based partly on the real-life criminal Viktor Bout.
The sequel was first announced in 2023, with production planned for later that year and into 2024. Plans changed, and the project came together in late 2025. The original earned $72.6 million at the box office, below expectations, before finding a second life as an audience favorite on DVD.
Lords of War opens on January 22, 2027, through Vertical.