Go back to Todd Phillips' disappointing The Hangover III and it's easy to tell he had no interest in making a film that fit the established formula. It was darker, more violent, and felt more like a crime flick than a raucous comedy. Clearly he saw that film as training for what he was doing next, War Dogs, which is based on the true story of two wild dudes in the shady business of arms dealing.
Miles Teller and Jonah Hill are the two dudes in question (The film was previously titled Arms and the Dudes) who somehow find themselves as the Pentagon's top weapons suppliers, earning a $300M contract to arm Afghan rebels. Judging by this trailer it looks like a combination of Lord of War (which is great if you haven't seen it) and Michael Bay's Pain & Gain, at least tonally, which means this could be a lot of fun. Or it could stir up some controversy given the national discussion about guns.
War Dogs hits theaters on August 19th.
