Young Washington brings the early life of the first U.S. president to the big screen as the nation prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of its founding.
Filmmakers unveiled the historical drama Thursday night during a prescreening at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. The film chronicles George Washington’s transformation from an ambitious young soldier into the commander of the Revolutionary War and the nation’s first president.
After a fateful mistake ignites the French and Indian War, Washington is forced to navigate adversity, reckon with the consequences of his actions, and emerge as the leader who would help shape a new nation.
The screening concluded with sustained applause and cheers from the audience, with one attendee calling it “the best movie I’ve seen in a long time.”
The film features Kelsey Grammer as Thomas Fairfax and William Franklyn-Miller as George Washington.
Grammer noted that audiences will see a side of Washington that extends beyond the familiar image of the nation’s founding father, highlighting the perseverance and determination that defined his rise to leadership.
“People will be amazed,” Grammer said to the Washington Examiner. “He didn’t have the greatest beginnings but he had tenacity, and that’s the American trait, we do not quit. The monument that stands on his behalf is small compared to what he did.”
“They don’t teach history anymore, there’s a lot of people who have their angle on it, but it’s history,” Grammer said. “You don’t get to have an angle because it’s about the facts.”
Young Washington was produced by Wonder Project founder Jon Erwin (creator of the hit series House of David), alongside Chip Diggins, Benton Crane, and Tyler Zacharia. Erwin co-wrote the screenplay with Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten. Distributed by Angel Studios, the film is set for release in theaters over Independence Day weekend.
Erwin said he was drawn to this particular part of Washington’s story because it reveals a chapter of the president’s life that many people know little about.
“I love an origin story, and I love the process,” Erwin said to the Washington Examiner. “I love this early chapter in Washington’s life that not many people know. I like the theme that your failures don’t have to define you. Often, your failures, if you let them, will actually mold you into who you’re supposed to become.”
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When asked what surprised him most about his research for the film, Erwin revealed that his discoveries were not about Washington’s military achievements, but his personal flaws and internal struggles before his rise to leadership.
“What surprised me about Washington was that he had a temper, and he was impulsive and so I found that interesting because Washington’s first battle was with himself. He had to first forge himself before he could forge a nation,” Erwin said.
Erwin added that years of reading about the American Revolution deepened his appreciation for the nation’s founding fathers.
“I had the good fortune while I was working on other projects over the course of several years, just reading books on the American Revolution,” Erwin said. “Not because I was thinking of making a movie, but just because I had this spark of curiosity. The more I read about it, the more I learned about it. I just felt an incredible sense of gratitude that the country is here.”
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As preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary continue, Erwin said the celebrations should be grounded in an honest understanding of U.S. history, one that recognizes its imperfections without losing sight of the ideals that unite the country.
“The American story, while imperfect, when you learn it, you realize it’s worth celebrating,” Erwin said. “It’s worth preserving, and it’s worth doing our part as co-authors, and citizens. I think it’s an appropriate thing for our 250th, and it’s still worth believing in and perfecting together.”