‘The Mosquito Bowl’ Trailer Sends College Football Stars From the Gridiron to the Brutal Battle of Okinawa

Hollywood has told plenty of war stories and plenty of sports stories, but rarely both at once. Peter Berg, a director with a long track record in football dramas and military action, is now combining the two in a film built on one of World War II’s strangest true episodes. Netflix has just released a new trailer, and it looks every bit as intense as fans of his work would expect.

‘The Mosquito Bowl’ is adapted from Buzz Bissinger’s 2022 nonfiction book, ‘The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II.’ Bissinger also wrote ‘Friday Night Lights,’ which Berg adapted into the 2004 film, and the two are reportedly cousins. Berg directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Mark L. Smith of ‘The Revenant.’

The new trailer, which runs just under 2 minutes, sets the stage for the story. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, four of America’s top college football stars set their fame aside to enlist in the Marines. As they prepare for the brutal invasion of Okinawa, they take part in a legendary football game that, for many, will be the last they ever play.

The game at the center of the film is real. On Christmas Eve 1944, 65 Marines from the 4th and 29th regiments of the 6th Marine Division faced off on a makeshift gridiron on Guadalcanal. Within a year, 15 of those players had died in the Battle of Okinawa.

That sobering fact gives the story its emotional weight. The film follows four of the era’s most celebrated players as they trade the pigskin for rifles and move from the football field to the Pacific Theater. It explores the cost of war and the bonds of brotherhood, according to Netflix.

From Peter Berg, starring Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson, and Tom Francis. THE MOSQUITO BOWL is in theaters October 30. Get tickets now. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, four of America’s top College Football stars set their fame aside to enlist in the Marines. They’ll play in a legendary game that, for many, will be their last.

— Netflix (@netflix) October 12, 2026

Nicholas Galitzine plays John McLaughry, the real-life football player and veteran at the center of the story. Bill Skarsgård plays Bob Bauman, Ray Nicholson plays Tony Butkovich, and Tom Francis plays Dave Schreiner. Butkovich was famously a first-round pick who chose to join the Marines over playing in the NFL.

The ensemble also includes Brent Comer, Dominic Bogart and Pat McAfee, with Berg himself appearing as General Buckner. Galitzine has said the production did almost everything on its own, with limited use of stunt doubles. That commitment to physical authenticity fits Berg’s reputation for gritty, immersive filmmaking.

The film marks Berg’s first feature in a while. His last was ‘Spenser Confidential’ in 2020, which was not particularly well liked. Since then, he has worked on Netflix series including ‘Painkiller’ and ‘American Primeval.’

For longtime fans, the project feels like a natural fit. Berg’s career has returned again and again to football, patriotism and military action, from ‘Friday Night Lights’ to ‘Lone Survivor.’ One reaction to the trailer called it perhaps the biggest Peter Berg film ever, and early comments have been enthusiastic.

Netflix is giving the film a brief theatrical window before it hits the service. ‘The Mosquito Bowl’ will play in select AMC theaters and other locations across the US starting October 30. It will then stream on Netflix beginning November 25.

It’s the first Netflix-AMC partnership since ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and offers a chance for awards-season attention. The film is rated R and runs 2 hours and 7 minutes. It’s also set to have its world premiere at the AFI Film Festival on October 22.

Berg produces through his Film 44 banner alongside Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment and Alex Gayner. Ezra Emanuel, Bissinger and Jeb Brody are executive producers. The combination of an established director, a prestige source and a stacked cast gives the film real ambition.

Whether it can capture the human story behind the statistics will be the real test. The trailer suggests a film that wants to honor both the game and the sacrifice that followed. For a story that began with three hours of football and ended in tragedy for so many, that balance matters.

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