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6.1
Angel Studios Acclaimed

Young Washington

Young George Washington · Founding Father Origins

2026 122 min PG-13
Critic6.1
History Drama War Biography
Theaters FindEdition
Trailer Where to Watch

Overview

Before he was the Father of a Nation, he was a soldier fighting to survive. A single misstep thrusts young George Washington into the center of a global conflict, testing his honor, loyalty, and courage as alliances crumble and war closes in.
Story 6.1
Acting 6.4
Direction 6.0
Cinematography 6.6
Music 6.2
Pacing 5.9
Originality 5.8
Emotional Impact 6.2
Overall 6.1

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Historical Desk

6.1 /10

A leader shaped by failure

The film’s best idea is treating Washington’s early failures as the engine of his later confidence, turning biography into a survival-and-learning arc.

War intensity with theatrical focus

Battle staging is built for big-screen impact, with strong momentum whenever the story leaves political talk and hits combat stakes.

Mixed critical consensus

With a 61% Tomatometer, critics land on a middle ground: the movie is often watchable and earnest, even when it plays closer to familiar history-drama beats than to fresh storytelling.

Patriotism as the throughline

It’s designed as a right-now Independence Day weekend experience, making the patriotic tone a deliberate choice rather than a compromise.

Why it is trending now

Young Washington remains in the domestic top five and continues attracting strong audience scores during its second theatrical week.

A leader before the legend

The film focuses on Washington as an ambitious and inexperienced young officer rather than presenting him only as a finished national icon.

A veteran supporting cast

Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer and Mary-Louise Parker provide authority around William Franklyn-Miller’s central performance.

Historical spectacle

The battle scenes and frontier setting give the film its strongest cinematic energy.

Pros

  • Clear big-screen focus on battlefield stakes
  • Strong central performance from William Franklyn-Miller
  • Veteran cast brings gravitas to key roles
  • Cinematography supports the period war atmosphere
  • Patriotic tone feels intentional for Independence Day weekend
  • The story’s leadership theme is easy to follow

Cons

  • Critical reception is mixed (61% Tomatometer)
  • A conventional biography structure can feel familiar
  • Less room for surprises compared to flashier war dramas
  • Pacing may feel dutiful during political setup scenes
  • Emotional beats are earnest rather than risky
Verdict Young Washington turns George Washington’s early French and Indian War era into a crowd-pleasing theatrical origin story. With Rotten Tomatoes at 61%, the reception sits in the mixed zone: performances and spectacle are strong, but the narrative approach feels dutiful and conventional in how it shapes Washington’s leadership journey.

AI Review

Young Washington (2026) is Jon Erwin's historical war drama origin story starring William Franklyn-Miller as young George Washington, with Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, and Mary-Louise Parker. It premiered at Tribeca and opened wide in U.S. theaters on July 3, 2026, delivering a big-screen patriotic coming-of-age shaped by the French and Indian War.

Young Washington turns George Washington’s early French and Indian War era into a crowd-pleasing theatrical origin story. With Rotten Tomatoes at 61%, the reception sits in the mixed zone: performances and spectacle are strong, but the narrative approach feels dutiful and conventional in how it shapes Washington’s leadership journey.

Watch it if you want a straightforward, theatrical George Washington origin story with strong performances and period war spectacle, especially if you enjoy historical dramas that emphasize character and leadership development.

Awards

Rotten Tomatoes

Tomatometer 61% from 46 reviews · shortlisted

CinemaScore

Audience Grade A · won

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Premiere
Festival
Status
Announcement

Angel Studios and Wonder Project announced the feature collaboration as an origin story for America’s first president.

Planning

The script was written by Jon Erwin, Tom Provost, and Diederik Hoogstraten, with production planned across Ireland and Virginia.

Principal photography

Principal photography took place in Ireland and in Virginia settings to build authenticity for the 1750s conflict.

Post-production

Final editorial polish and score were completed for a theatrical Independence Day weekend release.

Theatrical release

The movie released wide in U.S. theaters on July 3, 2026 after its Tribeca premiere.

Development

Wonder Project and Angel Studios developed the film around George Washington’s formative military years.

Screenplay

Jon Erwin, Diederik Hoogstraten and Aaron Boyd developed the historical screenplay.

Lead Casting

William Franklyn-Miller was cast as the young George Washington.

Supporting Cast

Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, Mary-Louise Parker and Joel Smallbone joined the ensemble.

Marketing

Angel positioned the film as an Independence Day historical event tied to America’s 250th anniversary.

Box-office Run

The film opened above expectations and reached approximately $35.7 million domestically.

Rotten Tomatoes

Tomatometer 61% from 46 reviews shortlisted

CinemaScore

Audience Grade A won

Production

Announcement

Angel Studios and Wonder Project announced the feature collaboration as an origin story for America’s first president.

Planning

The script was written by Jon Erwin, Tom Provost, and Diederik Hoogstraten, with production planned across Ireland and Virginia.

Principal photography

Principal photography took place in Ireland and in Virginia settings to build authenticity for the 1750s conflict.

Post-production

Final editorial polish and score were completed for a theatrical Independence Day weekend release.

Theatrical release

The movie released wide in U.S. theaters on July 3, 2026 after its Tribeca premiere.

Development

Wonder Project and Angel Studios developed the film around George Washington’s formative military years.

Screenplay

Jon Erwin, Diederik Hoogstraten and Aaron Boyd developed the historical screenplay.

Lead Casting

William Franklyn-Miller was cast as the young George Washington.

Supporting Cast

Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, Mary-Louise Parker and Joel Smallbone joined the ensemble.

Marketing

Angel positioned the film as an Independence Day historical event tied to America’s 250th anniversary.

Box-office Run

The film opened above expectations and reached approximately $35.7 million domestically.

Streaming

Theaters FindEdition

Cast

William Franklyn-Miller George Washington
Mary-Louise Parker Mary Washington
Ben Kingsley Robert Dinwiddie
Andy Serkis General Edward Braddock
Kelsey Grammer Lord Fairfax
Joel Smallbone William Fairfax
John Foss Lawrence Washington
Will Joseph Young George Washington
Mia Rodgers Undisclosed
Jonno Davies James Mackay
Leo Hanna Christopher Gist

Characters

George Washington William Franklyn-Miller
Mary Washington Mary-Louise Parker
Robert Dinwiddie Ben Kingsley
General Edward Braddock Andy Serkis
Lord Fairfax Kelsey Grammer
William Fairfax Joel Smallbone
Lawrence Washington John Foss
Young George Washington Will Joseph
Undisclosed Mia Rodgers
James Mackay Jonno Davies
Christopher Gist Leo Hanna

Crew

Jon Erwin Director
Tom Provost Writer
Diederik Hoogstraten Writer
Kristopher Kimlin Cinematographer
Parker Adams Editor
David de Vos Editor
Kevin Kiner Composer
Sean Kiner Composer
Deana Kiner Composer
Aaron Boyd Writer
Adam Abel Producer
Chip Diggins Producer
Kristy Choo Producer
Tyler Zacharia Producer
Chad Krowchuk Production Designer

Videos

Official Trailer

Soundtrack

  1. Young Washington Main Theme — Kevin Kiner, Sean Kiner, Deana Kiner
  2. The Ohio Campaign — Kevin Kiner, Sean Kiner, Deana Kiner
  3. Fortune and Failure — Kevin Kiner, Sean Kiner, Deana Kiner
  4. Alliances Crumble — Kevin Kiner, Sean Kiner, Deana Kiner
  5. A Leader Is Forged — Kevin Kiner, Sean Kiner, Deana Kiner

Trivia

  • The film is centered on George Washington’s early life and experiences during the French and Indian War between 1753 and 1755.
  • Young Washington premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2026.
  • It released wide in U.S. theaters on July 3, 2026 as part of Independence Day weekend programming.
  • Director Jon Erwin is also a writer and co-writer on the project alongside Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten.
  • Music is composed by Kevin Kiner, Sean Kiner, and Deana Kiner.
  • Reports and interviews around the release point to plans for a sequel titled 1776.
  • Angel Studios lists Young Washington at 2 hours and 5 minutes.
  • William Franklyn-Miller plays the young George Washington.
  • Ben Kingsley plays Virginia lieutenant governor Robert Dinwiddie.
  • Andy Serkis plays General Edward Braddock.
  • The film was released during the United States’ 250th-anniversary year.
  • Angel reports a 92% audience score and an A CinemaScore.
  • The domestic opening weekend reached approximately $19.37 million.
  • Current domestic and worldwide reported grosses are approximately $35.7 million.
  • The film focuses on Washington’s early military failures rather than his presidency.
  • A follow-up story focused on 1776 has been discussed following the film’s opening.

Quotes

"Before he was the Father of a Nation, he was a soldier fighting to survive."

— Trailer tagline

"A single misstep thrusts young George Washington into the center of a global conflict."

— Official synopsis

"Alliances crumble, but honor still matters."

— Film theme

"War makes a leader out of a man."

— Narrative takeaway

"Before he was the Father of a Nation, he was a soldier fighting to survive."

"A single misstep thrusts young Washington into the center of a global conflict."

"Alliances crumble, but honor still matters."

"War makes a leader out of a man."

Goofs

  • Different listing sources report runtime either as 122 minutes or as '2h 5m'.
  • Opening weekend reporting was revised across outlets, moving from early 20M+ estimates to a final $19.3M figure.
  • Some promotional materials list varying creative-credit groupings (writer and director credits can differ by marketing asset).

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Collections

Part of Founding Father Origins

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Universe

George Washington / U.S. History

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Franchise

Young George Washington

An Angel Studios theatrical historical slate entry that focuses on the French and Indian War period, setting up the next Revolutionary War chapter for a possible continuation in a 1776-themed sequel.

Browse franchise →

Recommendations & Alternatives

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AI Recommendation Insight

Young Washington (2026) is Jon Erwin's historical war drama origin story starring William Franklyn-Miller as young George Washington, with Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, and Mary-Louise Parker. It premiered at Tribeca and opened wide in U.S. theaters on July 3, 2026, delivering a big-screen patriotic coming-of-age shaped by the French and Indian War. Similar picks: Similar Director, Shared Cast

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