Lord of War is a 2005 crime war film written, produced and directed by Andrew Niccol and co-produced by and starring Nicolas Cage. It was released in the United States on September 16, 2005, with the DVD following on January 17, 2006 and the Blu-ray Disc on July 27, 2006. Cage plays an illegal arms dealer, inspired by the stories of several real-life arms dealers and smugglers. The film was officially endorsed by the human rights group Amnesty International for highlighting the arms trafficking by the international arms industry.