Young Washington
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jon Erwin
Written by	Jon Erwin Tom Provost Diederik Hoogstraten
Produced by	Jon Erwin Chip Diggins Benton Crane Tyler Zacharia
Starring	William Franklyn-Miller Mary-Louise Parker Kelsey Grammer Andy Serkis Ben Kingsley
Cinematography	Kristopher Kimlin
Edited by	Parker Adams David de Vos
Music by	Kevin Kiner Sean Kiner Deana Kiner
Production companies	Wonder Project 2521 Entertainment 10 Ton Productions Red 56
Distributed by	Angel Studios
Release dates	June 13, 2026 (2026-06-13) (Tribeca Festival) July 3, 2026 (2026-07-03) (United States)
Running time	122 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$20.8 million[2]

Young Washington is a 2026 American epic historical war drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Jon Erwin. It is based on the early life of the Founding Father and first president of the United States, George Washington and focuses on his experiences and command in the French and Indian War between 1753 and 1755. William Franklyn-Miller stars as the titular character, alongside Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis and Ben Kingsley.

The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2026, and was released in the United States by Angel Studios on July 3, 2026. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Erwin has also announced he is working on a follow-up to the film and is to be titled 1776,^[3] chronicling Washington's experience during the American Revolution.

In 1743, after the death of his father Augustine, George Washington meets his older half-brother Lawrence. Because of his father's death, George is not given a formal education. Lawrence tutors his half-brother in land surveying. In 1753 Williamsburg, Virginia, George is denied commission into the British Army due to his colonial background. Thanks to Lawrence's recommendation, lieutenant governor Robert Dinwiddie signs George into the Virginia Militia, where he is assigned to travel to the Ohio Country to deliver a message to the French demanding they leave. Before he departs, George arrives uninvited at Thomas Fairfax's plantation Belvoir. There, Washington meets Sally Cary, Thomas Gage, and surveyor Christopher Gist.

Along the Ohio Country, George and Gist meet Mingo warriors led by Haudenosaunee leader "Half-King" Tanacharison. Gist saves George's life when he pulls him from the freezing Allegheny River after they have fallen off a makeshift raft. They deliver the message to Joseph Jumonville, who refuses to leave. Since the French have refused to leave, Dinwiddie promotes George as Major to lead the Virginia Regiment, where they are joined by Tanacharison's warriors. Tanacharison seeks vengeance against the French for his father's murder. Despite George's warnings, Tanacharison and his warriors attack the French, and during the battle, Joseph is killed.

Back in Williamsburg, Dinwiddie condemns George for escalating a war with the French. Meanwhile, George learns Sally has been engaged to his rival George William Fairfax. At Fort Necessity, George is given the rank of Colonel, following Joshua Fry's death, and joins British soldiers under the command of James Mackay. On July 3, 1754, French forces led by Louis Coulon de Villiers (brother of Joseph Jumonville) force the garrison to retreat, and during the assault on the fort, Gist is killed. As the French have won a decisive victory, George is forced to surrender and unwittingly signs a document admitting responsibility for assassinating Joseph Jumonville.

Demoralized, and after Lawrence's death from tuberculosis, George resigns from the Virginia Regiment. His mother Mary Ball Washington renews her son's belief that he is protected by Providence and to learn from his failure. In 1755, George decides to re-enlist into the regiment, led by British General Edward Braddock. Serving as an aide-de-camp, George joins the Braddock Expedition to retake Fort Duquesne, though he falls ill with dysentery.

On July 9, 1755, Braddock's forces are ambushed by French and Canadian troops under Captain Daniel Liénard de Beaujeu. During the battle, George wakes up and joins the British forces thinking that Braddock has called for a retreat he goes to help his men of Virginia. Washington finds Braddock, who has been shot and is dying and is told that he did not call for a retreat and that he must rally the remaining men. Washington finds the men of Virginia and rallies the army to form a rear guard, allowing the British to retreat safely. On the battlefield, George sustains four bullet holes in his coat, one bullet hole in his hat, and two horses shot down from beneath him. Although the British have lost the battle, George's courage under fire contributes to his reputation that he was protected by Providence. In August 1755, Dinwiddie, impressed by his valor, appoints George as colonel and commander of the Virginia Regiment.

• William Franklyn-Miller as George Washington
• Ben Kingsley as Robert Dinwiddie
• Andy Serkis as Edward Braddock
• Joel Smallbone as George William Fairfax
• Kelsey Grammer as Thomas Fairfax
• Mary-Louise Parker as Mary Ball Washington
• Mia Rodgers as Sally Fairfax
• Jonno Davies as James Mackay
• John Foss as Lawrence Washington
• Michael Benz as Thomas Gage
• Leo Hanna as Christopher Gist
• Clement Toyon as Joseph Jumonville

In July 2025, Angel Studios announced that a biographical drama film revolving around the life of the first president of the United States George Washington was in development, with Jon Erwin directing the film, and co-writing the script with Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten. William Franklyn-Miller was cast in the lead role.^[4][5] In August, Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis and Joel Smallbone joined the cast.^[6] Principal photography began in late August 2025, in Ireland and Virginia, with Kelsey Grammer joining the cast as Thomas Fairfax.^[7][8] Mary-Louise Parker, Mia Rodgers and Jonno Davies were added to the cast in the following month.^[9] In July 2026, Erwin revealed that the film employed the use of generative AI for several establishing shots along with depicting the firing of physical cannons the crew rented. AI was also used to make it seem like the actors were in icy water and to insert two Wonder Project employees as British solidiers.^[10]

Young Washington premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2026,^[11] and was released in the United States by Angel Studios on July 3, 2026.^[12]

In the United States and Canada, Young Washington was projected to gross around $15 million from 2,700 theaters in its opening weekend.^[13] The film made $7.6 million on its first day and went on to debut to $20.8 million, exceeding projections and finishing third behind Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5.^[14]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 40 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.0/10.^[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[16] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while 81% of those surveyed by PostTrak said they would definitely recommend the film.^[14]

• Cultural depictions of George Washington

• Official website
• Young Washington at IMDb