Yuri Orlov is back in business. More than two decades after Lord of War, Nicolas Cage is returning as the world’s most notorious arms dealer in Lords of War, which hits theaters on January 22, 2027.
Distributor Vertical released the first teaser on November 4, giving fans their first look at Cage back in the role and at his new rival, played by Bill Skarsgård.
Father vs. Son
The sequel picks up years after Yuri’s fateful deal with a Sierra Leonean militia. His legacy is suddenly threatened by a mercenary mastermind building a private army, who turns out to be his own son, Anton (Skarsgård). Father and son become bitter rivals, competing for power, influence and the same woman, before their feud escalates into what the synopsis calls “a blood-soaked and bullet-riddled battle to the death.”
Andrew Niccol, who wrote and directed the original, is back behind the camera and also wrote the script. Cage is the only returning star, joined by Sylvia Hoeks, Laura Harrier, Georgina Beedle, Greg Tarzan Davis, Rafael Morais and Max Kraus. Cage is also one of the film’s producers.
A Cult Classic Returns
Released in 2005, Lord of War followed Yuri, a Ukrainian-American gunrunner loosely inspired by real-life arms dealer Viktor Bout, as he built an empire selling weapons around the world after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Co-starring Ethan Hawke and Jared Leto, it wasn’t a huge box office hit, but its sharp satire and Cage’s cold, darkly funny narration turned it into a cult favourite.
The production famously used thousands of real Kalashnikov rifles, because they were cheaper than renting prop guns.
A sequel was first announced in 2023 before plans changed, and the project finally came together last year. Now, with Skarsgård facing off against Cage, it looks like Yuri’s toughest opponent might be family.