Questions
When did WarGames come out and who directed it?
WarGames was released on June 3, 1983, and was directed by John Badham. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 7, 1983.
Who stars in WarGames?
Matthew Broderick stars as young hacker David Lightman, alongside Ally Sheedy as Jennifer Mack, Dabney Coleman, and John Wood as Dr. Falken.
What is the movie actually about?
A Seattle teen accidentally connects to WOPR, a military supercomputer, and triggers a false nuclear alert that nearly starts World War III.
What does WOPR stand for?
WOPR stands for War Operation Plan Response, and it is pronounced "whopper." The name was reportedly inspired by the Burger King hamburger.
What is the famous line from WarGames?
After learning that nuclear war only ends in draws, the computer concludes it is "a strange game" where "the only winning move is not to play."
How does the computer learn not to launch the missiles?
WOPR plays tic-tac-toe against itself, which produces a long string of draws. That teaches it about no-win scenarios and it applies the same logic to nuclear war.
What games does WOPR list on its menu?
The menu includes chess, checkers, backgammon, and poker, plus ominous titles like "Theaterwide Biotoxic and Chemical Warfare" and "Global Thermonuclear War."
Where did the story idea come from?
The writers were reportedly inspired by physicist Stephen Hawking and a TV special by Peter Ustinov, and a Stanford Research Institute futurist named Peter Schwartz helped connect youth, computers, gaming, and the military.
Is David Lightman based on a real person?
Yes, the character was modeled on David Scott Lewis, a real hacking enthusiast the writers met while developing the script.
Was another director attached first?
Yes. Martin Brest worked on the film for a long time but was fired after three weeks of production, and John Badham took over and lightened the tone.
Did any famous musician almost play Dr. Falken?
According to the article, John Lennon was interested in playing the role but was murdered in New York while the script was still in development.
What computer does David use to hack in the film?
He uses an IMSAI 8080 computer with a modem to dial into systems.
How did WarGames do at the box office?
Made on a roughly 12 million dollar budget, it grossed about 124.6 million dollars worldwide and was the fifth highest grossing film of 1983 in the US and Canada.
Did WarGames win any awards?
It earned three Oscar nominations, for Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, and Sound, and won a BAFTA for Best Sound and a Saturn Award for Best Director.
Did WarGames have any real-world impact?
President Reagan watched it and ordered a security review that led to NSDD-145, the first presidential directive on computer security, and it influenced the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986.
Was there ever a sequel?
Yes, a direct-to-DVD sequel called WarGames: The Dead Code was released in 2008, followed by an interactive series reboot in 2018.
