Angel Studios is looking to get the party started early on the U.S. semi-quincentenary. The distributor has released the first trailer for “Young Washington,” a biopic about George Washington’s childhood. Set decades before George Washington became commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and later became the first president of the United States.
The trailer ends with a narrated message asking viewers to “help us make this film the No. 1 movie in America on its 250th anniversary,” and directing viewers to Angel’s official website to reserve tickets. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 3, the day before Independence Day in 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Pre-orders have already been on sale for several months, starting with a promotional raffle that began before production on “Young Washington” began. It’s highly unusual for a theatrical release to start pre-sales this far in advance, but Universal recently made headlines by selling out the Imax run time for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey one year before its July 2026 release.
“Young Washington” is the first full-length collaboration between Angel and the independent production company Flagbearer Wonder Project. The film shows William Franklin Mill, who plays Washington, fighting through fierce battles during the French and Indian War and defending himself during a tense military council. The film also stars Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis, and Ben Kingsley. Jon Irwin, who created the Wonder Project Bible series House of David, will direct the film from a script he co-wrote with Tom Provost and Diederik van Hoogstraten.
“With this first trailer, audiences get their first real look at the scale, emotion and power of ‘Young Washington,'” Brandon Purdy, Angel’s head of theatrical distribution and brand development, said in a statement. “This film captures the tension, courage and humanity of a leader whose formative story has rarely been told on screen. We are honored to bring this epic to theaters on America’s 250th anniversary, and are excited to see audiences already hooked and seated to experience ‘Young Washington’ on the biggest screen possible.”
“Young Washington” will hold out to lead next year’s Fourth of July box office. The film comes two days after Universal and Illumination released “Minions 3,” their latest animation featuring the ubiquitous babbling yellow creatures. But Angel has smashed through Hollywood’s summer tent poles before. The company’s human trafficking drama “The Sound of Freedom” has surpassed Disney’s big-budget “Indiana Jones and the Dial” to become the No. 1 movie in North American theaters on Independence Day 2023.
Watch the trailer for “Washington” below.
