Why ‘Young Washington’ Chose Ireland for Filming Instead of America

Jon Erwin’s expansive new biopic ‘Young Washington’ has finally arrived in theaters, and one aspect continues to surprise audiences. Despite portraying a distinctly American narrative about the Founding Father’s early military career, the production was entirely filmed in Ireland.

The film chronicles a young George Washington as he navigates the French and Indian War long before he became a household name. Angel Studios strategically scheduled its release to align with the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations, debuting in theaters on July 3, 2026. However, the making of this patriotic story took the cast and crew thousands of miles away from Virginia’s picturesque landscapes.

‘Young Washington’ is a 2026 American epic historical war drama directed, produced, and co-written by Jon Erwin. According to its official IMDb page, the entire production took place in Ireland. This choice has surprised some viewers who anticipated a distinctly American backdrop for a story so closely tied to the nation’s founding mythology.

One critic pointed out the irony, noting that the film embraces its patriotism at every turn despite being filmed in Ireland. This decision was made because modern Virginia locations no longer resemble the landscapes of that period. This detail has sparked discussions among reviewers covering the film’s release.

The Irish countryside provided the untouched, pre-industrial look that modern Virginia simply cannot replicate. For a film focused on recreating the 1750s American frontier, it meant seeking landscapes abroad that hadn’t been altered by centuries of development.

The film features ‘Young Washington’ star William Franklyn-Miller in the title role, supported by a stellar cast including Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis, and Ben Kingsley. Franklyn-Miller portrays Washington, emphasizing his experiences and command during the French and Indian War.

The official synopsis sets the tone for the story, depicting how before he became the Father of a Nation, he was a soldier fighting for survival, with a single misstep thrusting young George Washington into the center of a global conflict that tests his honor, loyalty, and courage. It’s a coming-of-age war story presented as a founding father origin tale.

Production reportedly began development in the summer of 2025, with Erwin directing and co-writing the script alongside Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten. The film premiered ahead of its wide release, giving early audiences a first look at the completed project.

Filming in Ireland presented unique logistical challenges, especially for the film’s more dangerous sequences involving water and cold conditions. For one crucial scene where Washington and a companion nearly drown in an icy river, Erwin utilized a 50-foot pool of water constructed in Ireland, along with ice props and generative AI tools to create wider shots of the sequence. The director explained his reasoning directly to Variety, stating that the actors, raft, and water were all real, just not cold, and that the crew mapped the smaller filming area to appear much larger in post-production.

Erwin also employed AI in unexpected ways during the Irish shoot. In one instance, the team transformed two Wonder Project employees into background British soldiers using AI, dressing them in period-accurate costumes and placing them on horseback after filming them in modern clothing. He has previously used similar blended techniques on projects for Amazon MGM Studios and continues to lead an AI-focused production venture alongside Wonder Project and Luma AI.

The reliance on AI tools has not gone unnoticed, with some viewers online criticizing the film’s use of technology, adding another layer of discussion to a movie already generating buzz for its unconventional filming location.

‘Young Washington’ didn’t go straight to a wide release. The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2026, before Angel Studios rolled it out nationwide on July 3, 2026. Tribeca’s description called it an extraordinarily ambitious period piece and a pulse-pounding recreation of a less explored period in Washington’s life.

In addition to its traditional theatrical run, the film has also established a significant diplomatic tie-in. ‘Young Washington’ will be screened at U.S. embassies worldwide in partnership with the State Department, coinciding with the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations. Angel co-founder Neal Harmon described the film as a story of growth and leadership earned through adversity as the country marks its 250th anniversary.

Critical reception has been mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, 60 percent of critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6 out of 10, while Metacritic assigned the film a score of 52 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. This division has sparked debate over whether the film’s ambition matched its execution.

Regardless of critics’ opinions, the choice to recreate colonial Virginia across the Atlantic has become one of the most discussed aspects of the film. Do you think ‘Young Washington’ successfully disguised its Irish setting as the American frontier, or does the location switch detract from the story?