THE BRINK OF WAR is set against defining moments of the Cold War. Jeff Daniels plays Ronald Regan and Jared Harris acts as Mikhail Gorbachev. The film chronicles the high-stakes 1986 Reykjavík Summit, where both leaders faced decisions that could have reshaped the future of the world. The superpowers negotiated and helped move the world away from a nuclear war.

The film will screen at Paley Museum on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 6pm. The evening will begin with a CBS News report from the Paley Archive that aired during the Reykjavík Summit, capturing the uncertainty surrounding the negotiations and the potential consequences for the future of the world.

Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris and the film's Director Michael Russell Gunn will be present after the screening as well as Timothy Naftali, Presidential Historian, Columbia's School of International Public Affairs. You will hear an exclusive conversation about portraying these iconic historical figures, the exploration of diplomacy at a pivotal moment in world history, and the experience of filming in Iceland, where the historic summit took place forty years ago.

Guests are invited to return to The Paley Museum and visit the Paley Archive on the 4th floor to explore additional news coverage and archival materials from the Cold War era, offering deeper context for the events depicted in the film and an opportunity to experience firsthand how television documented this pivotal period in history.