Kathryn Bigelow returns with ‘A House of Dynamite’. Trailer drops

The official trailer for ‘A House of Dynamite’ shows a missile attack sparking a high-stakes government race.

Netflix and director Kathryn Bigelow have released the official trailer for A House of Dynamite, a political thriller that thrusts viewers into a high-pressure crisis scenario. Bigelow, known for The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, makes her return to feature filmmaking with this star-studded cast and nuclear stakes.

The film features an ensemble including Idris Elba as the U.S. President, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke and others. The plot kicks off when a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States. What follows is a frantic attempt by government and military officials to identify who’s responsible and decide how to react.

In the trailer, voices of officials echo lines such as “If we get this wrong … none of us are going to be alive tomorrow,” setting the tone for the dire decisions ahead. Bigelow told Netflix in promotional materials that she designed the narrative to draw audiences into the room where critical decisions are made — not to offer policy solutions but to immerse people in the tension of those moments.

A House of Dynamite premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival on September 2, where it was met with strong response, including an 11-minute standing ovation. The film is produced in part by Bigelow, Greg Shapiro, and Noah Oppenheim, with Oppenheim also writing the screenplay.

Release plans are now set: A House of Dynamite opens in select theaters in the U.S. on October 10, rolls out globally starting October 10, and begins streaming on Netflix on October 24. In the U.K., a limited release starts October 3.

This latest project sees Bigelow returning to the themes of state power, military anxiety, and the human cost of crisis, concerns that have defined her career. A House of Dynamite promises to test the moral and strategic boundaries of government in a scenario where there may be no clear ‘right’ answer.