A new alien invasion is coming—but this time, it’s not tripods wreaking havoc on city streets. It’s notifications, hacked feeds, and a Homeland Security analyst tracking global chaos from behind a screen.
Prime Video is set to release War of the Worlds, a modern reimagining of H.G. Wells’ sci-fi classic, on July 30. Unlike previous adaptations, this version is rooted in the digital age, unfolding entirely through the lens of everyday technology: phones, tablets, computers, and surveillance feeds.
Leading the cast is Ice Cube as Will Radford, a top cybersecurity analyst for Homeland Security. Tasked with identifying threats via a mass surveillance system, Radford finds himself spiraling into suspicion after an unexplainable attack throws the world into disarray. What begins as a job tracking digital footprints turns into a chilling realization that the true threat might not be extraterrestrial—it might be human.
This update on Wells’ seminal 1898 novel marks the feature directorial debut of Rich Lee, known for his work in music videos. The screenplay comes from Kenneth Golde and Marc Hyman, with production led by Patrick Aiello and Timur Bekmambetov—the latter also behind the innovative Screenlife genre films like Searching, Unfriended, and LifeHack.
Joining Ice Cube is a strong supporting cast including Eva Longoria, Clark Gregg, Andrea Savage, Henry Hunter Hall, Iman Benson, Devon Bostick, and Michael O’Neill. While the film leans more toward psychological thriller than large-scale action, it still explores global paranoia and mass panic—but filtered through FaceTime calls, livestreams, and surveillance footage.
War of the Worlds was initially developed under Universal but later found its home with Amazon MGM Studios, which embraced its experimental, screen-centric storytelling format. The film’s unique production design mirrors how audiences now consume global events in real time—through their devices.
Rather than following the traditional alien-vs-human action format, this version takes a more grounded approach, spotlighting misinformation, control, and the ways digital infrastructure can become both a weapon and a blindfold. The decision to set the entire film within digital interfaces positions it alongside Bekmambetov’s other Screenlife entries, which have grossed over $200 million globally and earned critical acclaim for their innovation.
War of the Worlds arrives at a time when technology’s role in disaster response and human connection is under constant scrutiny, and this adaptation leans all the way into that anxiety. As audiences prepare for yet another take on a well-worn story, this one dares to ask a new question: If aliens attacked today, would we even look up from our screens to see it?
The film premieres globally on Prime Video on July 30.