'Young Washington' Director Envisions Patriotic Cinematic Universe: 'We've Just Begun'
The filmmaker behind the hit movie Young Washington is opening up about its sequel and a broader slate of patriotic films and television projects, saying in a new interview, "We've just begun."
Director Jon Erwin made the comments Tuesday, two days after his new film won over audiences from coast to coast with the story of a humble, courageous young George Washington as he challenges the British colonial class system and begins developing the character and leadership that would one day carry him through the Revolutionary War.
Young Washington (PG-13) finished No. 3 at the box office, significantly outperforming industry expectations.
Erwin said American history is filled with stories worthy of a big-screen adaptation.
"The founding of America is incredible. So, while I'm taking it one project at a time, the goal with doing Young Washington on the 250th anniversary was to allow for America's story to be told again," Erwin told Crosswalk Headlines. "I just think the origin story of America needs to be told again. It's a torch passed down from generation to generation."
1776, he said, isn't the only project he hopes to make as part of a larger patriotic cinematic universe.
"There's more films and television shows I want to make on this subject matter," he said before adding, "I hope that other filmmakers will see the success of Young Washington, and there'll be other films in this category. But yeah, we've just begun."
Future patriotic films, he added, are possible only because Americans turned the film into a hit and "voted" with their ticket purchases.
Erwin previously said 1776 was already being written and would be "another incredible chapter in this man's life and legacy"—that is, Washington—while calling it "another Revolutionary War epic."
He went into further details about the future film in the interview, saying it will continue Washington's story while expanding to include other key figures of the American founding.
"That is another chapter in which Washington is the central figure. Now it's a different cast, it's decades later," he told Crosswalk Headlines. "... But it is the next great chapter in his life that I want to tell, and it will also broaden into an ensemble."
He described George Washington as the "Iron Man of that Avengers universe," while describing the British invasion force as "the largest amphibious fleet ever assembled in the history of the world, with Hessian mercenaries that were sent to crush our rebellion – and that unstoppable force hit an immovable object that was Washington."
Young Washington is believed to be the first modern theatrical film centered on George Washington released in theaters; other notable screen portrayals in recent decades have been made for television.
Although several major streaming services released documentaries leading up to America's 250th anniversary, Young Washington was the only patriotic historical drama to receive a wide theatrical release.
"I found it staggering that this was the only film that touched on American history at all on the 250th anniversary of America," Erwin said.
"I don't assign any motive with that statement. I just found it surprising. I felt we would be up against Independence Day 3 or something," he said, laughing.
"I am twice as shocked that there's not been a modern Washington epic. He is the father of our country. And that's why I wanted to explore his life in chapters, because he's a very complex individual – forged in failure and hardship, and risk and adventure."
Meanwhile, Erwin said the story in Young Washington is for all Americans – left and right alike – calling it a film that can help the nation "celebrate together."
"One of the words that was actually struck out of the Declaration of Independence was the word 'subjects,' and it was replaced with the word' citizen,' – and that's such a cool concept," Erwin said, referencing a draft Thomas Jefferson revised himself.
"This is all of ours; we all own it together. And even the fact that we get to disagree and argue is one of the things that makes America unique. You don't get to openly dissent in a dictatorship. And so, even the fact that we have a party system, as frustrating as that can be, is one of the things that makes us unique, because we're able to disagree, because we're all owners of the country together.
"It's a government of the people," Erwin said. "And so one of my hopes with the movie was just that it could create a place where we could celebrate the nation together. It's imperfect, but it's still worth believing in, and still a constant quest to form a more perfect union, and I believe that this is a movie for everyone. George Washington is the first Founding Father of America for every American, and that's how I hope the movie is received."
Photo Credit: ©Angel/Wonder Project
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published July 08, 2026.
