Following the catastrophic comet impact that devastated Earth, the Garrity family is forced to abandon the safety of their underground bunker in Greenland when it collapses from massive earthquakes. Facing a harsh, frozen, and unrecognizable world, John, Allison, and their teenage son Nathan must embark on a perilous, continent-spanning journey across a decimated European wasteland. Amidst lawless survivors and terrifying new environmental hazards, they must fight their way to a rumored new safe haven to begin rebuilding humanity.
Information |
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|---|---|
Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
January 09, 2026 |
Running time |
98 minutes |
Genre |
Action Thriller Drama |
Budget |
$90,000,000 |
Box Office |
$44,200,000 |
Crew |
|
Directed by |
Ric Roman Waugh |
Produced by |
Basil Iwanyk Erica Lee Sébastien Raybaud Gerard Butler Alan Siegel |
Written by |
Chris Sparling Mitchell LaFortune |
Music by |
David Buckley |
Cinematography |
Dana Gonzales |
Edited by |
Eric Freidenberg |
Production Co. |
Anton Thunder Road Pictures G-BASE Film Production CineMachine |
Distributed by |
Lionsgate |
Official Trailer
The Plot
The Ashes of the Old World
Five years after the interstellar Comet Clarke rained apocalyptic fire upon the Earth, the planet's environment has been left in a state of chaotic ruin. The atmosphere is routinely disrupted by sudden, deadly electromagnetic storms, lingering radioactive fallout, and massive tectonic shifts born from the devastating initial impact. Deep beneath the frozen crust of the Earth, the remnants of humanity cling to survival inside a heavily fortified, military-engineered underground bunker near the Thule Air Base in Greenland. Over the agonizing years of subterranean confinement, the Garrity family has adapted to the harsh realities of their new existence. Allison has risen to become a respected leader within the struggling community, managing dwindling resources and maintaining fragile morale. Her husband, John, utilizes his skills as a structural engineer and serves as a vital scout, venturing into the toxic wasteland above to maintain the bunker's life-support systems. Their son, Nathan, now a determined teenager, idolizes his father and trains relentlessly, harboring a deep desire to join the scouting teams.
However, life in the bunker is far from secure. The constant excursions into the irradiated surface world have taken a severe, invisible toll on John. Unbeknownst to Allison and Nathan, John has contracted severe radiation poisoning. He quietly suffers through an incurable, rattling cough, hiding bloodstained rags and secretly carrying the heavy burden that he only has a few months left to live. He pushes through the creeping weakness, driven solely by his unyielding devotion to keeping his family safe.
The Collapse of Thule Air Base
The fragile peace of the Greenland shelter is shattered when the planet's unstable tectonic plates shift violently. For weeks, minor tremors had tested the bunker's structural integrity, but the Earth soon unleashes a catastrophic earthquake of unprecedented magnitude. The violent shaking tears through the subterranean facility, cracking massive concrete pillars and causing ceilings to cave in. Warning sirens blare through the dust-choked corridors as General Sharpe and Major Green desperately attempt to coordinate an emergency evacuation amidst the deafening roar of collapsing architecture.
Panic erupts as the survivors realize the military-engineered sanctuary is entirely compromised. John, Allison, and Nathan navigate the crumbling, claustrophobic hallways, dodging falling debris and crushed bulkheads. The air grows thick with pulverized concrete and the terrified screams of those trapped beneath the rubble. It becomes a frantic sprint to the surface, abandoning everything they have built over the last five years in a desperate bid for the pale light of the devastated exterior.
The Tsunami's Wrath
Bursting from the ruins of the bunker, the terrified population of Thule Air Base spills onto the freezing, desolate shores of Greenland. The brutal reality of their situation sets in as they spot a small fleet of abandoned lifeboats moored off the coast. The horrifying realization sweeps through the crowd: there is not enough room for everyone. A chaotic, desperate scramble ensues as hundreds of survivors fight for a chance at salvation. John fiercely protects his family, using every ounce of his failing strength to push through the panicked mob and secure a place for Allison and Nathan on one of the overloaded vessels.
Just as the lifeboats begin to disengage from the docks, the ocean recedes ominously. The massive earthquake has displaced the sea floor, birthing a colossal tsunami that now races toward the shoreline. The towering wall of dark, freezing water eclipses the sky. As John, Allison, and Nathan brace themselves inside their lifeboat, the tsunami crashes onto the coast with world-ending fury. The devastating wave instantly swallows the crumbling remains of the base and mercilessly drowns the fraction of the population that failed to secure a boat, leaving the survivors adrift in a churning sea of debris.
A Rumor of Paradise
As the turbulent waters eventually calm, the surviving fleet bobs aimlessly in the frigid ocean. The leadership attempts to assess their grim situation. Among the scattered survivors—including figures like Dr. Hogan, Lieutenant Blake, Riley Watson, Lars, and Pia—a desperate whisper begins to circulate. Intelligence and fragmented radio broadcasts suggest the existence of a massive impact crater located in France. Unlike the irradiated wasteland covering the rest of the globe, this crater has supposedly formed a miraculous, self-sustaining atmospheric pocket, offering breathable air, fertile soil, and a genuine chance to rebuild civilization.
With their shelter destroyed and options nonexistent, the small, battered group of survivors makes a unified, perilous decision. The Garrity family and their fellow refugees commit to an impossible migration. They must cross the treacherous, unforgiving ocean and navigate the decimated ruins of Europe to find this rumored sanctuary before the planet's hostile environment, or their own dwindling supplies, claims their lives.
The Submerged Coasts of Great Britain
The grueling journey across the sea brings the survivors to the remnants of Great Britain. The impact of Comet Clarke and the subsequent tectonic upheavals have fundamentally altered the world's geography. The coastlines of the UK have partially sunk beneath the waves, forcing the boats to navigate through the eerie, submerged skeletons of once-great buildings. Skyscrapers protrude from the dark waters like tombstones, and the new shoreline has been pushed miles inland.
Making landfall, the group is immediately confronted by the hazardous realities of the above-ground world. The air is heavily polluted, requiring them to constantly monitor toxicity levels and don protective masks. Deadly radiation storms frequently roll across the barren landscape, forcing the caravan to seek temporary, precarious shelter in the decaying ruins of the old world. Every step forward is a battle against the elements, and John's hidden illness begins to subtly degrade his stamina, his incurable cough becoming harder to mask from Allison's watchful eyes.
The Ruined Heart of France
Pressing onward, the survivors manage to cross the English Channel and enter the desolate borders of France. They discover a land torn apart not just by the comet's devastation, but by a vicious, ongoing civil war. Society has completely fractured, leaving the countryside at the mercy of roving gangs of ruthless bandits and heavily armed insurgents fighting over the last scraps of viable resources. In the midst of this chaotic landscape, John and the group's engineers manage to locate and repair a heavily armored, abandoned transport bus, providing the exhausted civilians with a crucial means of moving faster through the dangerous territory.
Inside the cramped confines of the bus, tensions run high. The ever-present threat of militant ambushes keeps everyone on edge. Nathan, determined to prove his worth as a scout, helps his father navigate the treacherous, debris-strewn roads. John watches his son with a mixture of immense pride and profound sorrow, knowing his time to teach the boy is rapidly slipping away. The radiation sickness gnaws at his insides, but John bites down his pain, focusing solely on the coordinates of the rumored crater.
The Ambush on the Road
The caravan's fragile luck finally runs out as the bus navigates a narrow, ruined highway. Suddenly, the path is blocked, and a pair of heavily armed insurgents descend upon the vehicle. The ambush is swift and terrifying. The attackers, desperate and hardened by the wasteland, breach the bus doors with weapons drawn, their eyes scanning the terrified civilians. They demand total control of the vehicle and its dwindling supplies, fully prepared to slaughter the passengers to take it.
Panic sweeps through the aisle. Children cry out, and the unarmed survivors recoil in terror. John realizes instantly that yielding the bus is a death sentence for Allison, Nathan, and the rest of the group. Without a second thought for his own safety, he locks eyes with the lead insurgent, calculating the agonizing distance between them.
The Gun Struggle
With a sudden, explosive burst of adrenaline, John lunges forward. He crashes into the lead insurgent, his hands desperately wrapping around the hot barrel of the attacker's rifle. A violent, chaotic struggle erupts in the narrow aisle of the bus. Seeing John's bravery, the other civilians—rallying together in a desperate bid for survival—swarm the second insurgent, violently pinning him to the floor of the vehicle.
John and his opponent wrestle brutally, slamming against the seats and shattered windows. The insurgent snarls, trying to wrench the weapon free, but John holds on with the furious strength of a dying father protecting his family. Amidst the terrifying grapple, two deafening gunshots echo through the metal confines of the bus. The struggle abruptly ceases. John slowly stands up, the insurgent lying dead at his feet. A collective breath of relief washes over the passengers, but as John turns away, he discreetly clutches his side. Beneath his heavy jacket, a dark, warm patch of blood begins to spread. He had been shot in the abdomen during the chaos, but he utters no word of his fatal wound.
A Father's Final Drive
The aftermath of the ambush leaves the group deeply shaken, but the journey must continue. John, now battling both the final stages of radiation poisoning and a severe, bleeding gunshot wound, insists on taking the wheel for the final stretch of their migration. He grips the steering wheel with pale, trembling hands, his breaths coming in ragged, shallow gasps. Allison notices his intense pallor and the sweat beading on his forehead, but John brushes off her concerns with a strained, reassuring smile, locking his focus onto the horizon.
The landscape around them slowly begins to shift. The grey, toxic clouds that had dominated the sky for years begin to thin, giving way to impossible, vibrant hues of blue. The barren earth slowly transitions into patches of resilient green. They are closing in on the coordinates of the French crater, and the promise of a self-sustaining atmosphere is finally materializing before their disbelieving eyes.
The Gates of Paradise
The battered bus finally crests a massive ridge, bringing the vehicle to a slow, grinding halt. Before them lies a breathtaking, awe-inspiring sight: a colossal impact crater spanning miles, shielding a lush, thriving valley bathed in sunlight. The air here is pure and breathable, untainted by the apocalyptic fallout. It is the paradise they were promised—a sanctuary where humanity can finally stop running and begin to rebuild.
As the survivors erupt into tears of joy and pour out of the bus to breathe the clean air, John unbuckles his seatbelt. His mission is complete. The last reserves of his adrenaline fade, and his body finally surrenders to the devastating trauma. He collapses heavily against the steering wheel. Allison and Nathan rush to his side in absolute horror, pulling back his jacket to reveal the catastrophic, untreated gunshot wound and realizing the agonizing truth of his long-hidden illness.
Tears stream down Allison's face as she cradles her dying husband, desperately pressing her hands against his bleeding side. John reaches up with a trembling, bloodstained hand to wipe away her tears, whispering that they finally made it home. He turns his fading gaze to Nathan, telling his tearful son how incredibly proud he is, and urging him to be the brave scout for this new world. With a final, rattling exhale, John's eyes flutter shut, and he passes away in the arms of the family he sacrificed everything to save. As the sun sets over the lush, green horizon of the crater, Allison and Nathan stand together at the edge of the new world, mourning their fallen hero, yet filled with the enduring hope of humanity's survival.
Top Cast
- Gerard Butler as John Garrity
- Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity
- Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity
- Amber Rose Revah as Dr. Amina
- Gordon Alexander as Lieutenant Blake
- Peter Polycarpou as Dr. Haugen
- William Abadie as Denis Laurent
- Nelia Valery Da Costa as Camille
- Tommie Earl Jenkins as General Sharpe
- Trond Fausa Aurvåg as Adam Shaw
Movie Collection
- Greenland (2020)
- Greenland 2: Migration (2026)
