Netflix has released the first trailer for The Mosquito Bowl, an upcoming World War II film directed by Peter Berg. Known for his work on "Lone Survivor" and "Deepwater Horizon," Berg's latest project is based on Buzz Bissinger's historical fiction novel of the same name.
The film centers on four top college football stars who enlist in the Marines following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The narrative builds towards a significant football game played between Marine regiments at Guadalcanal on Christmas Eve, 1944, a game that will prove to be the last for many of the players involved as they prepare for the brutal invasion of Okinawa.
The real-life Mosquito Bowl game featured many prominent college football players, and sadly, several participants later died in the Battle of Okinawa, a detail reflected in the film's premise.
The cast includes Nicholas Galitzine as John McLaughry, Bill Skarsgård as Bob Baumann, Ray Nicholson as Tony Butkovich, and Tom Francis as David Schreiner. Peter Berg, who also co-writes the screenplay, is reuniting with "Friday Night Lights" collaborators Brian Grazer and the band Explosions in the Sky.
"The Mosquito Bowl" is slated for a theatrical release on October 30 before arriving on Netflix on November 25. This project marks Berg's return to the World War II genre, following his 2013 film "Lone Survivor."
Berg is also attached to direct a live-action adaptation of the video game "Call of Duty" for Paramount Pictures, scheduled for 2028. Previously, Berg had expressed critical views on war-themed video games, calling them "pathetic."