Reign of Fire is a 2002 post-apocalyptic science fantasy film directed by Rob Bowman and starring Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale, with the screenplay written by Matt Greenberg, Gregg Chabot, and Kevin Peterka. The film also features Izabella Scorupco and Gerard Butler.

Plot

During construction on the London Underground, workers penetrate a cave and a huge dragon emerges from hibernation, incinerating the workers with its fire breath. The only survivor is a boy, Quinn Abercromby, whose mother Karen, the project engineer, is crushed to death protecting him. The dragon flies out of the Underground and soon more dragons appear. Years later, the world's militaries have failed to stop the spread of the dragon population and, having grown increasingly desperate, target the largest population areas with nuclear weapons, leaving humans nearly extinct by the year 2020. The dragons, now starving as well, are dying off and have become increasingly aggressive in search of food.