New Yorkers Submarine Deluxe and Decal Releasing have acquired the doc thriller War Game from Toronto’s Boat Rocker Media and LA-based Anonymous Content. The film, written and directed by Jesse Moss (Boys State, The Overnighters) and Tony Gerber (Jane, Full Battle Rattle), premiered last January at the Sundance Film Festival.

Submarine Deluxe plans on an August 2 theatrical release, followed by a fall VOD release through Decal Releasing. Boat Rocker is distributing the film internationally.

Set in the near-future, War Game follows a bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence, and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations as they participate in an unscripted role-play exercise. Portraying a fictional President of the United States and his advisors, they confront a political coup backed by rogue members of the US military in the wake of a contested 2024 presidential election. Like actors in a thriller, but with real-world stakes, the players have only six hours to save American democracy.

The table top exercise that is the subject of of the film was organized by Vet Voice Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan organization.

Warren Littlefield (The Handmaid’s Tale, Fargo, The Old Man) executive produced the project for The Littlefield Co., along with Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz (both Black Sails, The Old Man, Percy Jackson and the Olympians) for Quaker Moving Pictures.

Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier executive produced for Boat Rocker, with Seth Brodie and David Levine for Anonymous Content, along with Jay Peterson and Eric Schmeltzer.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Submarine Deluxe and Decal to bring War Game to audiences this fall,” said directors Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber in a statement. “The film is an invitation to the White House Situation Room to experience a real-time look at a dystopian but entirely plausible political future, and a scary, gripping but also hopeful look at Presidential decision-making in crisis.”