Peter Berg Film ‘The Mosquito Bowl’ to Premiere at AFI Fest

Here is the press release from AFI and Netflix:

Peter Berg’s THE MOSQUITO BOWL will have its World Premiere at the 40th edition of AFI FEST presented by Canva on Thursday, October 22 at the TCL Chinese Theater. 

Directed and co-written by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon) and based on the Instant New York Times Bestseller by Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger, the film follows four of America’s top College Football stars who set their fame aside to enlist in the Marines following the attack on Pearl Harbor. As they prepare for the brutal invasion of Okinawa, they’ll play in a legendary game featuring some of the greatest players in history – a game that, for many, will be the last they ever play.

The ensemble cast is led by Nicholas Galitzine as John McLaughry, Bill Skarsgård as Bob Bauman, Ray Nicholson as Tony Butkovich, and Tom Francis as David Schreiner. Based on actual events, the film explores the true cost of war and the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood.

The crafts team behind the film features 9 time Academy Award nominated Sound Designer Wylie Stateman, Academy award nominated VFX Supervisor Ariel Velasco Shaw, BAFTA winning Hair and Makeup Designer Angela Conte, and BAFTA nominated Production Designer Phil Ivey – and marks a reunion with past collaborators Rachel Tenner (casting director), cinematographer Jacques Jouffret, composers Explosions in the Sky and editors Jon Otazua and Garret Donnelly. 

“I’ve spent much of my career telling stories about people who put themselves in harm’s way, and THE MOSQUITO BOWL is one of the most personal explorations of that for me,” said Berg. “These young men were athletes and friends who became soldiers and were asked to carry an unimaginable burden. I’m very proud of this film and honored that the film will premiere at this year’s AFI festival.”

About the film 

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, four of America’s greatest college football stars — John McLaughry (Nicholas Galitzine), Bob Bauman (Bill Skarsgård), Tony Butkovich (Ray Nicholson)and David Schreiner (Tom Francis) — set fame aside to enlist in the Marines. Eager to serve, they are immediately pulled out of their idealistic youth and into the violent realities of World War II.

Moving from the joy and pageantry of 1941 college football, through the crucible of Marine training, and across the front lines of the Pacific, The Mosquito Bowl is a true story based on the New York Times bestselling book by Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger. Directed and produced by Peter Berg, alongside producers Brian Grazer and Alex Gayner, the film explores the true cost of war and the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood.

The film will be released in theaters on October 30th and on Netflix November 25th.