Lord of War (2005)

Lord of War is a 2005 crime drama film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Ethan Hawke, and Eamonn Walker in primary roles. The plot follows an unscrupulous Ukrainian-American man named Yuri Orlov (portrayed by Cage) as he participates in the global arms trafficking industry in the years preceding and succeeding the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The film opens with arms dealer Yuri Orlov delivering a direct-to-camera monologue against a backdrop of spent bullet casings: "There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other eleven?" This line immediately establishes the film's cynical tone and central theme of the global arms trade.

The film was released in the United States by Lions Gate Films on September 16, 2005, and received mixed reviews, with many praising the opening sequence's messaging and Cage's performance as Yuri, but garnered criticism for its lack of focus and handling of Yuri's character. It grossed US$72.6 million at the box office, making it a financial disappointment. A sequel, Lords of War, is currently in development.