Intense drama 'Civil War' filmed in metro Atlanta

ATLANTA - Alex Garland’s "Civil War" is already one of the most talked-about films of the year so far, an intense drama centered on a United States at war with itself.

And if many of the locations featured in the film look familiar to Atlanta audiences, there’s a good reason: it was made here.

"Civil War" stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Cailee Spaeny as journalists covering the war in the United States, and follows them on a conflict-filled journey to Washington, D.C. Despite the drama on-screen, Dunst says it was an "idyllic" experience living and working in Atlanta.

"We had a great time," says the Oscar-nominated actress. "We lived in Virginia-Highland [with] our kids; we’d always walk to the pizza parlor and little restaurants here and there. It was such a cute neighborhood. It was very sweet. So, they had a really good time, which was obviously most important."

Spaeny — who recently garnered major acclaim for her performance in the film "Priscilla" — returned to Georgia late last year to accept an honor from the SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

"Oh, it was so sweet," says the Golden Globe nominee. "And so nice getting to talk to all the students. It was, like, the best experience I had promoting a movie, just hanging out with all the kids over there and [seeing] the passion that they had."

Speaking of school, portraying a journalist in "Civil War" was a return to roots for "Narcos" star Moura.

"I worked as a journalist in my hometown for a couple of years, working on stage at night and working at a newspaper in the morning and afternoon," the actor says. "This is also a film about journalists and the importance of journalism for democracy."

"Civil War" opens in theatres nationwide this Friday from A24; to hear more from the stars, click the video player in this article.