The Mosquito Bowl: Peter Berg Brings a Remarkable World War II Story to Netflix

Four elite college football players trade promising athletic careers for military service in The Mosquito Bowl, Peter Berg’s upcoming World War II drama based on Buzz Bissinger’s nonfiction book.

Set against the Pacific Theater, the film stars Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson and Tom Francis as young athletes whose lives change dramatically after the attack on Pearl Harbor. John McLaughry, Bob Baumann, Tony Butkovich and David Schreiner leave football behind to enlist in the Marines, taking them from the football field into the brutal realities of war.

The film is directed by Berg, whose previous work includes Friday Night Lights and Lone Survivor. He adapted the story from Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger’s 2022 book, The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II.

For Berg, bringing the story to the screen meant staying close to the real experiences of the men at its center.

“This is very much a reality-based film,” Berg tells Tudum, explaining that the movie is intended to honor the Marines who sacrificed their lives in 1944 and 1945.

The Mosquito Bowl is scheduled to open in select theaters on Oct. 30 and arrive on Netflix on Nov. 25.

What is The Mosquito Bowl about?

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, four of America’s top college football players put their athletic ambitions aside and enlist in the Marines.

John McLaughry, played by Galitzine, is a natural leader who starred as quarterback for Brown University under the guidance of his father. Bob Baumann, portrayed by Skarsgård, played for the University of Wisconsin and is depicted as an intense, larger-than-life presence.

Nicholson plays Tony Butkovich, the Purdue star regarded as an exceptional athlete and one of the era’s outstanding offensive players. Francis portrays David Schreiner, Baumann’s Wisconsin teammate, whose thoughtful and strategic approach sets him apart.

Their transition from celebrated college athletes to Marines forms the heart of the story. The film explores the realities of war while focusing on the friendship and loyalty that develop between the men.

A true story brought to the screen

The Mosquito Bowl is based on Bissinger’s 2022 nonfiction book, which chronicles the college football players who entered military service during World War II and the remarkable game that brought many of them together before the Battle of Okinawa.

The project also reunites Bissinger and Berg, whose professional relationship dates back to Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream. Bissinger wrote the acclaimed book about high school football in Odessa, Texas, while Berg directed its 2004 film adaptation and later developed the story into the 2006 television series.

That history made the new project a particularly fitting collaboration. The filmmakers and cast approached the story with an emphasis on portraying the real men as faithfully as possible.

“These were real people,” Nicholson says. “You work as hard as you can and believe in something bigger than yourself.”

The historical game at the center of the story was played by Marines on Guadalcanal on Christmas Eve 1944, as the men prepared for the invasion of Okinawa.

Watch the teaser

The teaser offers a glimpse of Berg’s intense approach to the material, combining wartime action with the relationships formed between the soldiers.

Berg says he was particularly interested in exploring “love and compassion and human connection” within traumatic environments, describing the combination of intensity and emotion as the place where he feels most engaged.

For Galitzine, the production demanded an unusually immersive experience. The cast relied only minimally on stunt doubles, with the actors participating in sequences involving explosions, fire and the sounds of combat.

“I’ve never experienced this kind of immersion before in my career,” Galitzine says.

Meet the cast

Nicholas Galitzine as John McLaughry

Galitzine plays McLaughry, the Brown University quarterback whose leadership extends from the football field to the battlefield.

Bill Skarsgård as Bob Baumann

Skarsgård portrays Baumann, a Wisconsin football player known for his powerful personality and fearless approach to competition.

Ray Nicholson as Tony Butkovich

Nicholson takes on the role of Purdue standout Butkovich, an elite athlete who established records during his college career.

Tom Francis as David Schreiner

Francis plays Schreiner, a Wisconsin player alongside Baumann whose more measured and analytical style complements the group.

The four actors also developed a close bond while preparing for and filming the movie. Skarsgård says the experience created a sense of camaraderie that mirrored both football and military life, eventually making the actors feel like brothers.

Filming in Australia

Production took place in Australia, including Queensland and northern New South Wales, with the landscape standing in for locations ranging from Marine training grounds to the Pacific Theater.

Berg praised Queensland’s scenery during production, calling it “cinematic gold” and saying it was ideal for bringing the story to life.

For Francis, the production was also a major personal milestone. Following his Tony-nominated Broadway performance in Sunset Boulevard, The Mosquito Bowl marked his first feature film.

He described the five-month shoot as the best five months of his life, adding that the cast entered the production as boys and left it as men.

Behind the film

Berg directs and produces The Mosquito Bowl, continuing his creative partnership with Netflix and Film 44 following American Primeval and Painkiller.

He produces alongside Brian Grazer for Imagine Entertainment and Alex Gayner. Ezra Emanuel, Bissinger and Jeb Brody serve as executive producers. The screenplay is credited to Berg and Mark L. Smith.

When does The Mosquito Bowl premiere?

The Mosquito Bowl will be released in select theaters on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by its Netflix debut on Nov. 25, 2026.