Netflix is turning up the intensity with a brutal new red-band trailer for The Mosquito Bowl, an upcoming World War II drama from acclaimed filmmaker Peter Berg. Featuring graphic battlefield violence, explosive combat and an extraordinary true story, the film promises a powerful look at young men whose sporting dreams were swallowed by the horrors of war.
Starring Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson and Tom Francis, the movie follows four of America’s most talented college football players who put their promising athletic careers aside after the attack on Pearl Harbor to enlist in the US Marines.
Galitzine plays John McLaughry, Skarsgård portrays Bob Bauman, Nicholson takes on the role of Tony Butkovich, while Francis stars as David Schreiner. All four young men enter military service believing they are ready to serve their country, only to discover a terrifying reality far removed from the football fields they once dominated.
Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Buzz Bissinger’s book The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II, the film explores the remarkable football game that brought together some of the greatest college players of their generation before the brutal Battle of Okinawa.
The title refers to a legendary matchup played by servicemen on Guadalcanal. What began as a celebration of football and camaraderie would become deeply connected to the devastating human cost of the Pacific campaign.
The trailer offers glimpses of terrifying battlefield sequences, explosions and soldiers fighting for survival. Galitzine has revealed that the production relied heavily on practical effects, with explosions and fire staged close to the actors to create a more immersive experience.
Director Peter Berg, known for Lone Survivor and Friday Night Lights, has described the project as a deeply personal effort to honour the Marines who sacrificed their lives during the war.
Rather than simply telling a story about football, The Mosquito Bowl examines brotherhood, courage and the devastating price of conflict.
The film opens in select theatres on October 30, 2026, before arriving on Netflix on November 25.
