The Creator: how to watch, reviews, trailer, cast and everything we know about the sci-fi movie

John David Washington in The Creator
John David Washington in The Creator (Image credit: 20th Century Studio)

Flying under the radar among the new movies coming in 2023 is The Creator, a sci-fi story from Gareth Edwards, the director of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. But there's a lot of stuff that makes this movie one you want to keep your eye on.

The Creator is actually the first movie from Edwards since Rogue One. It sees him pairing up with John David Washington for a high-concept, action-packed story.

Intrigued? Here is everything that you need to know about The Creator.

The Creator release date

The Creator premieres exclusively in movie theaters on September 29. Here's what you need to know about how to watch The Creator.

The Creator plot

The Creator is something of a rarity in Hollywood these days, a wholly original idea not based on any pre-existing source material. Edwards wrote the script alongside Chris Weitz, who was one of the credited screenwriters for Rogue One.

Here is the official synopsis for The Creator:

"Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua, a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war — and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory… only to discover the world-ending weapon he's been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child."

The Creator cast

As mentioned, John David Washington headlines The Creator. He plays the ex-special forces agent Joshua. Washington has become a major star in the last couple of years, appearing in movies like Amsterdam, Beckett, Tenet and BlackKklansman. His breakout role, however, was on the TV show Ballers.

It's quite the impressive supporting cast for The Creator as well, with Gemma Chan (Eternals, Don't Worry Darling), Ken Watanabe (Tokyo Vice season 1, Godzilla), Sturgill Simpson (Killers of the Flower Moon, The Hunt), Allison Janney (Lou, The West Wing), Ralph Ineson (The Green Knight, Willow) and newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles.

Here are the characters they all play in the movie:

  • John David Washington as Joshua
  • Gemma Chan as Maya
  • Ken Watanabe as Harun
  • Sturgill Simpson as Drew
  • Allison Janney as Colonel Howell
  • Ralph Ineson as General Andrews
  • Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie

The Creator trailer

Check out the trailer for The Creator right here, all to the beat of Aerosmith's "Dream On":

A second trailer for The Creator (or the "official" trailer as 20th Century is labeling it) is also now available. Watch right here:

20th Century Studios has release the final trailer for The Creator, which you can watch directly below:

The Creator reviews

The Creator has earned a "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of September 29, with a score of 69%.

Gareth Edwards movies

This is Gareth Edwards' first movie in seven years and only his fourth feature-length film overall. Here's the rundown of his three previous movies to refresh your memory of his work: 

  • Monsters (2010)
  • Godzilla (2014)
  • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

The Creator poster

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)
Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.