Death Race (franchise)

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Death Race
Rusty-s TV and Movie Car Museum Jackson TN 026.jpg
A 2006 Ford Mustang GT modified, Jensen "Frankenstein" Ames' car, from Death Race (2008).
Created by Ib Melchior
Original workThe Racer (1956)
Owners New World Pictures (1975)
Universal Pictures (2008–2018)
Years1956–2018
Print publications
Comics Death Race 2020 (1995)
Films and television
Film(s) Death Race 2000 (1975)
Death Race (2008)
Death Race 2 (2010)
Death Race 3: Inferno (2013)
Death Race 2050 (2017)
Death Race: Beyond Anarchy (2018)

The Death Race series is a car combat franchise encompassing a series of films and other media centered on a reality show set in a prison, where inmates race against each other in order to win their freedom.

Contents

Films

Death Race 2000 (1975)

Death Race 2000 is a 1975 cult action film. It stars David Carradine, Simone Griffeth, Sylvester Stallone, Louisa Moritz, and Don Steele, and was directed by Paul Bartel. In the near future, the ultimate sporting event is the Death Race. Contestants score points for running people down as they speed across the country. The sport has crazed fans who sacrifice themselves to the drivers. A covert group is trying to bring an end to the immoral Death Race and has infiltrated one of their followers into the race as a navigator of the top driver. In the end, the lives of the competitors, the President and the Death Race itself are in peril.

The screenplay was based on the short story "The Racer" by Ib Melchior. [1]

Death Race (2008)

Death Race is a 2008 reboot of Death Race 2000. It stars Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, Joan Allen, Fred Koehler, Robin Shou, and David Carradine, and was directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. In the DVD commentary, Anderson further elaborates on his thought of the movie as a prequel more than a reboot. In 2012, the economy of the US collapses, causing unemployment and crime rates to skyrocket, and a sharp increase of convicted criminals, which leads to privatized prisons for profit. In 2020, Claire Hennessey (Joan Allen), the warden of Terminal Island Penitentiary, earns profits from the pay-per-view broadcast of a modern gladiator game called the "Death Race", with the prisoners as the players. The racers, along with their navigators, drive a three-part race over three days on a closed track at Terminal Island, with various pressure plates: swords activate the racers' offensive weapons, shields activate defensive weapons such as oil, smoke, and napalm, and skulls ("Death Heads") activate deadly metal traps which rise up from the track. The reward for the drivers is that if one racer wins five races, they will be granted their freedom by Warden Hennessey. [2]

Death Race 2 (2010)

Death Race 2 is a prequel to the 2008 film Death Race. It stars Luke Goss, Fred Koehler, Tanit Phoenix, Robin Shou, Lauren Cohan, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, and Sean Bean, and was directed by Roel Reiné. Getaway driver Carl "Luke" Lucas (Luke Goss) is arrested after a robbery for his crime boss Markus Kane (Sean Bean) goes wrong. As his accomplices are robbing the bank, two police officers casually enter the building. Luke tells his accomplices to abort, but they refuse; Luke intervenes, resulting in the death of one of the three accomplices. Luke shoots and kills one of the officers and dumps off his accomplices in order to fulfill Markus's wishes. In doing so, Luke is eventually captured by the police following a high-speed chase and sentenced to serve time on Terminal Island. Markus, worried that Luke will trade info on his crimes for immunity, discovers his location and orders his men to take Luke out.

Death Race 3: Inferno (2013)

Death Race 3: Inferno takes place between the events of Death Race 2 and Death Race. It stars Luke Gross, Danny Trejo, Tanit Phoenix, Fred Koehler, Robin Shou, Ving Rhames, and Dougray Scott, and was directed by Roel Reiné. Death Race owner R. H. Weyland (Ving Rhames) has been forced to sell the rights to Niles York (Dougray Scott), a British billionaire who acquired the rights by hostile takeover. York reveals that he intends to relocate the Death Race to the deserts of Africa. Before leaving, Weyland arranges Lucas to have surgery to heal the infected and deadly scars on his face sustained from the previous film Death Race 2. With Carl Lucas, a.k.a. Frankenstein (Luke Goss), one win away from gaining his freedom, York coaches Lucas to lose his race and threatens his life if he fails to comply.

Death Race 2050 (2017)

Corman made Death Race 2050 , a sequel to his original film, shooting in Peru starting in February 2016. It stars Malcolm McDowell, Manu Bennett, Burt Grinstead, Marci Miller, Folake Olowofoyeku, Anessa Ramsey, Yancy Butler, and Charlie Farrell, and was directed by G. J. Echternkamp. [3] The film was released in the United States on DVD and DVD/Blu-ray combo on Jan 17, 2017, with three making-of documentaries: The Making of 2050, Cars! Cars! Cars!, and The Look of 2050. [4] In 2050, the United Corporations of America is ruled supreme by "Mr. President". An annual event called "The Death Race" is watched by almost all the inhabitants. This event, where anything goes, mixes car racing, murder of participants and civilians, all broadcast on television. The winner wins the supreme title and the right to have one of his wishes granted. The champion of this race and favorite of this new edition is still Frankenstein, half-man and half-robot. At the end of this race, he hopes to finally be able to bow out and leave this system. But that's without counting on the betrayals, attacks from resistance fighters and participants that await him this year.

Death Race: Beyond Anarchy (2018)

Death Race: Beyond Anarchy is a sequel to the 2008 film Death Race, directed by Don Michael Paul and stars Zach McGowan, Danny Glover, Christine Marzano, Danny Trejo, Fred Koehler, and Lorina Kamburova. [5] [6] Now considered illegal by Weyland International, the Death Race is still practiced in the prison city Sprawl and broadcast on the dark web . It is the legendary pilot Frankenstein who has taken control of the place, where nearly 420,000 inmates are locked up. After a failed attack on the latter, the authorities send Connor Gibson, a member of an elite unit, to infiltrate the prison. He has only one goal: to stop the Death Race. He will then have to learn to fight in a world without faith or law.

Cast and crew

Principal cast

CharacterOriginal seriesRemake series
Death Race 2000 Death Race 2050 Death Race Death Race 2 Death Race 3: Inferno Death Race: Beyond Anarchy
197520172008201020132018
"Frankenstein" David Carradine Manu Bennett Jason Statham
David Carradine (voice-over)		 Luke Goss Luke Goss
Dougray Scott 		Velislav Pavlov
Nolan North (voice-over)
Annie Smith Simone Griffeth Marci Miller  
Joe "Machine Gun" Viterbo Sylvester Stallone  
Mr. PresidentSandy McCallum Malcolm McDowell  
Myra Louisa Moritz  
Jed Perfectus  Burt Grinstead  
Minerva Jefferson  Folake Olowofoyeku  
Tammy  Anessa Ramsey  
Alexis Hamilton  Yancy Butler  
J.B.  Charlie Farrell  
Grace Tickle Shanna Olson [7]  
The Commercial Dick Ervasti (voice) 
"Lists"  Frederick Koehler
"14K"  Robin Shou  
Jensen Ames  Jason Statham  
Claire Hennessey  Joan Allen PhotographArchive footage 
Joe "Machine Gun Joe" Mason  Tyrese Gibson  
"Coach"  Ian McShane  Photograph 
Case  Natalie Martinez   
Gunner  Jacob Vargas  
Ulrich  Jason Clarke  
Slovo Pachenko  Max Ryan  
Hector "The Grim Reaper" Grimm  Robert LaSardo  
Travis Colt Justin Mader 
Niles YorkDavid Carradine Dougray Scott  
Carl "Luke" Lucas  Luke Goss  
Katrina Banks  Tanit Phoenix  
Goldberg  Danny Trejo
R. H. Weyland  Ving Rhames  
September Jones  Lauren Cohan  
Markus Kane  Sean Bean  
Bill 'Big Bill'  Deobia Oparei  
Medford Parks Patrick Lyster 
Rocco Joe Vaz 
Xander Grady  Henie Bosman  
Calin Warrick Grier 
Billy 'Hillbilly' Hill Sean Higgs 
"Apache" Chase Armitage 
"Sheik" Michael Solomon 
"Scarface" Trayan Milenov-Troy 
Satana Hlubi Mboya 
"Razor" Bart Fouche 
"Psycho" Jeremy Crutchley 
Nero  Eugene Khumbanyiwa  
Olga Braun Michelle van Schaik 
"Joker" Mark Elderkin 
"Pretty Boy" Brandon Livanos 
"Jackal" Anton David Jeftha 
Connor Gibson  Zach McGowan
Bob "Baltimore Bob"  Danny Glover
Jane  Christine Marzano
Rose 'Gypsy Rose' Yennis Cheung
Bexie Cassie Clare
Carley Lucy Aarden
Mr. Valentine Terence Maynard
The Warden Cameron Jack

Additional crew

RoleFilm
Original seriesRemake series
Death Race 2000 Death Race 2050 Death Race Death Race 2 Death Race 3: Inferno Death Race:
Beyond Anarchy
197520172008201020132018
Director Paul Bartel G. J. Echternkamp Paul W. S. Anderson Roel Reiné Don Michael Paul
Screenwriter(s) Robert Thom
Charles Griffith 		G. J. Echternkamp
Matt Yamashita		 Tony Giglio Tony Giglio
Don Michael Paul
Story byPaul W. S. Anderson
Tony Giglio
Producer(s) Roger Corman
Jim Weatherill		Roger CormanPaul W. S. Anderson
Jeremy Bolt
Roger Corman
Paula Wagner 		Paul W. S. Anderson
Jeremy Bolt
Mike Elliott 		Mike Elliott
Greg Holstein
Composer Paul Chihara Gunter Brown
Cindy Brown		 Paul Haslinger Trevor Morris Frederik Wiedmann
Director(s) of
photography		 Tak Fujimoto Juan DuránScott KevanJohn McKayWayne ShieldsAlexander Krumov
Editor(s) Tina Hirsch G. J. Echternkamp
Steve Ansell		Niven HowieRadu Ion
Herman P. Koerts		Michael Trent
Radu Ion		Vanick Moradian
Production companiesNew World PicturesUniversal 1440 Entertainment
New Horizons Pictures		 Relativity Media
Cruise/Wagner Productions
Impact Pictures		Universal Pictures Productions GmbH
Moonlighting Death Race Films C.C.		Universal 1440 Entertainment
Distributor New World Pictures Universal Studios Home Entertainment Universal Pictures Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Runtime80 minutes93 minutes111 minutes100 minutes105 minutes111 minutes
Release dateApril 27, 1975January 17, 2017August 22, 2008December 27, 2010January 22, 2013October 2, 2018

Other media

Unrelated

Deathsport is a 1978 science fiction B-movie produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush and Nicholas Niciphor.

Comic books

A comic book sequel series titled Death Race 2020 was published in April–November 1995 by Roger Corman's short-lived Roger Corman's Cosmic Comics imprint. It was written by Pat Mills of 2000 AD fame, with art by Kevin O'Neill. The pair had already worked together on several comics, including Marshal Law . The comic book series, as the title indicates, takes place 20 years after the film ended and deals with Frankenstein's return to the race. New racers introduced here included Von Dutch, the Alcoholic, Happy the Clown, Steppenwolf, Rick Rhesus and Harry Carrie.

The comic book series lasted eight issues before being cancelled and the story was left unfinished at the end.

Video games

Alien franchise

In Death Race 2 (2010) and Death Race 3: Inferno (2013), the character R. H. Weyland (played by Ving Rhames), is the founder of the Weyland Corporation, the company who owns the Terminal Island Penitentiary from the 2008 film. [9] The company is mentioned in the remake series, [10] [11] an allusion to the Alien franchise (despite the involvement of Paul W. S. Anderson, who is the director of Alien vs. Predator (2004), who also directed Death Race and co-wrote the 2008 film's prequels and its 2018 sequel Death Race: Beyond Anarchy ). [12]

Television

The 2017 TV show Blood Drive also draws from the Death Race series. Instead of killing people to earn points, people are sacrificed to the cars' engines, which have been modified to run off human blood. [13]

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Death Race 2000 is a 1975 American science fiction action film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine. The film takes place in a dystopian American society in 2000, where the murderous Transcontinental Road Race has become a form of national entertainment. The screenplay is based on the 1956 short story "The Racer" by Ib Melchior.

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<i>Death Race 2</i> 2010 action film directed by Roel Reiné

Death Race 2 is a 2010 action film directed by Roel Reiné and written by Tony Giglio, who co-developed its story with Paul W. S. Anderson. A co-production between South Africa and Germany, it is the prequel to Anderson's 2008 film Death Race and the second installment in the Death Race franchise. The film stars Luke Goss as Carl "Luke" Lucas, a convicted cop killer sentenced to life in a for-profit, maximum security prison where he is forced to compete in the titular reality show to earn his freedom. Fred Koehler, Tanit Phoenix, Robin Shou, Lauren Cohan, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, and Sean Bean appear in supporting roles; Koehler and Shou reprise theirs from Death Race.

<i>Death Race 3: Inferno</i> 2013 American action film directed by Roel Reiné

Death Race 3: Inferno is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by Roel Reiné. It is the third installment in the Death Race film series and takes place between the events of Death Race 2 (2010) and Death Race (2008). The film was released direct-to-video on January 22, 2013.

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References

  1. ↑ Bosnan, John & Nichols, Peter "Death Race 2000" in Clute, John & Nichols, Peter eds. (1998) The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2nd edition) Orbit
  2. ↑ "Death Race Set in a Prison?". ComingSoon.net . September 11, 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (2016-02-18). "Roger Corman Revs Up 'Death Race 2050' With Malcolm McDowell Starring". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  4. ↑ Miska, Brad (January 9, 2017). "'Death Race 2050' Goes Full 'Idiocracy' in This Gory Exclusive Clip". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  5. ↑ Death Race 4 hits home stretch
  6. ↑ "Death Race 4 is coming". Archived from the original on 2017-05-16. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
  7. ↑ "Death Race 2050". IMDb.com. 2017-03-16. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  8. ↑ "ZX81 Cassette Tape Information for Maze Death Race". Zx81stuff.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  9. ↑ "Death Race Movie". Movie Insider. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Death Race (2008) - Connections". IMDb . Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Death Race 2 (2010) - Connections". IMDb. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  12. ↑ "[Alien & Death Race Movies] Weyland Corporation features in both. Are these universes connected?". Reddit . 10 January 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Blood Drive". IMDb .
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