Vertical has acquired U.S. rights in an early pre-sale deal to acclaimed filmmaker and Academy Award-nominee Andrew Niccol’s crime thriller “Lords of War” from Academy Award-winning studio Vendôme Pictures (CODA), who produced and financed the film. “Lords of War” recently wrapped production in Morocco, and was written and directed by Niccol. The sequel to his 2005 film “Lords of War” stars Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage (“Longlegs”), Bill Skarsgård (“Dead Man’s Wire”), Laura Harrier (“White Men Can’t Jump”), Sylvia Hoeks (“A Sacrifice”), and Greg Tarzan Davis (“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”). Vertical will unveil the film’s highly anticipated first footage for exhibitors at CinemaCon next week in Las Vegas, ahead of a planned 2027 theatrical release.

In the sequel, Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Yuri Orlov, the world’s most notorious arms dealer. When Yuri discovers he has a son, Anton (Skarsgård), a ruthless mercenary mastermind bent on surpassing his father by building a private army and exploiting America’s wars in the Middle East, he is thrust into a deadly battle for legacy. What begins as a shocking revelation ignites a fierce father-son rivalry fueled by power, ambition, and betrayal – with the global arms trade hanging in the balance.

“As a storyteller, I always felt there was so much more to explore with the ‘merchant of death’ that is Nicolas Cage’s charming devil, Yuri Orlov. This latest chapter gave me the chance to introduce his ultimate rival, his illegitimate son, Anton – illegitimate in every sense of the word – played by the equally roguish Bill Skarsgård. Set against the largely unseen world of mercenaries, the film quickly reveals that Anton isn’t out to right his father’s wrongs, he’s out to top them,” stated Niccol, “We’re delighted to be partnering with Vertical on the U.S. release – the team has fully embraced the film’s vision and its portrayal of the insanity of war.”

“Vertical is thrilled to unveil the first footage from ‘Lords of War’ for exhibitors at CinemaCon next week. With Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård going head-to-head, audiences are in for a tense, electrifying ride,” added Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey. “’Lord of War’ has long been one of the defining crime thrillers for me, and it’s incredibly exciting to partner with Andrew Niccol as he returns to the explosive world of Yuri Orlov.”

The film was produced by Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi, who produced the original, for Vendôme Pictures, Niccol, Cage for Saturn Films, and executive produced by Skarsgård, Alice Dawson, Fifth Season’s Graham Taylor and Christopher Slager, and Vertical’s Rich Goldberg and Peter Jarowey. Sammi Farber served as associate producer. Additional below-the-line talent includes director of photography Amir Mokri (“Pixels”), editor Alex Rodríguez (“Extraction II”), costume designer Oliver Garcia (“Chevalier”), and production designer Philip Ivey (“Ballerina”), with casting by Orla Maxwell (“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die”) and music by Antonio Pinto (“The Mosquito Coast”).

The deal was negotiated by Jarowey on behalf of Vertical and by Vendôme Pictures and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers. International sales are being handled by FilmNation Entertainment.

About Vertical
Founded in 2012, Vertical has become a leading global independent distributor releasing films across all mediums. In the last 3 years, Vertical has taken a leap within the theatrical space with a commercially focused indie slate. We thrive in a highly competitive landscape against major studios and maintain the ability to stay nimble and ahead of the curve in all aspects of our business. Vertical’s unique combination of full-service marketing and highly effective sales services provides collaborative solutions for filmmakers, as the company leverages exhibitor, platform and creative relationships to maximize revenue streams from all content providers.

Vertical’s current and upcoming slate includes Padraic McKinley’s “The Weight” starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, Ben Gregor’s “The Magic Faraway Tree” starring Andrew Garfield and Clare Foy; Oliver Assayas’ “The Wizard of the Kremlin” starring Paul Dano, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander and Jeffrey Wright; Aneil Karia’s “Hamlet” starring Academy Award winner Riz Ahmed; Director/co-writer Rupert Wyatt’s “Desert Warrior” starring Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, and Sir Ben Kingsley; Director/writer Luc Besson’s “Dracula” starring Caleb Landry Jones, Christoph Waltz and Zoë Bleu; Writer/Director Zak Hilditch’s “We Bury the Dead” starring Daisy Ridley and Brenton Thwaites; Eric Lin’s “Rosemead” which is produced by and stars Lucy Liu; Brian Kirk’s “Dead of Winter” starring Emma Thompson and Judy Greer; Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard’s “Eden” starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney; Director/writer Kristin Scott Thomas’ “My Mother’s Wedding” starring Thomas, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham and Freida Pinto; “Fight or Flight” directed by James Madigan and starring Josh Hartnett and Katee Sackhoff.

Past Vertical releases include 2025 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Features “Atropia,” written and directed by Hailey Benton Gates and starring Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner; 2024’s SXSW selection “I Don’t Understand You” co-directed/co-written by David Joseph Craig and Brian William Crano and starring Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells; 2024’s SXSW selection “The Threesome” directed by Chad Hartigan and starring Zoey Deutch; 2024 Tribeca selection “Sacramento” starring Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine penned and directed by Angarano; “Guns Up” directed by Edward Drake and starring Kevin James, Christina Ricci, Luis Guzmán and Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo; “In The Lost Lands” directed by Paul W.S. Anderson based on George R.R. Martin’s short story and starring Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista; TIFF 2024 and Venice International FF 2024 selection “The Order” from director Justin Kurzel and starring Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan and Jurnee Smollett; TIFF 2023 selection “Lee,” directed by Ellen Kuras and starring Kate Winslet, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård and Marion Cotillard; director George Nolfi’s sci-fi thriller “Elevation” starring Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin; Caroline Lindy’s “Your Monster” which stars Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey and had its World Premiere at Sundance 2024; “The Exorcism” directed by Joshua John Miller and starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Chloe Bailey and Sam Worthington; TIFF 2023 selection “Poolman,” written, directed by and starring Chris Pine alongside Danny DeVito and Annette Bening from producers Patty Jenkins and Stacey Sher; 2023 Cannes Selection “Firebrand” from director Karim Aïnouz and starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law; the 2023 Berlin Film Festival Opener “She Came to Me” directed by Rebecca Miller and starring Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei and Anne Hathaway; Phillip Noyce’s “Fast Charlie” starring Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin; 2023 Independent Spirit Award winner “Emily the Criminal” written & directed by John Patton Ford starring Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi; and Damián Szifron’s “To Catch a Killer” starring Shailene Woodley and Ben Mendelsohn.

For more information about Vertical, go to www.Vert-Ent.com.