Shaft (2019 film)

Last updated
Shaft
Shaft (2019) film poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tim Story
Written by
Based on John Shaft
1970 novel
by Ernest Tidyman
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLarry Blanford
Edited byPeter S. Elliot
Music by Christopher Lennertz
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • June 14, 2019 (2019-06-14)(United States) [2]
Running time
112 minutes [3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30–35 million [4] [5]
Box office$21.4 million [3]

Shaft is a 2019 American action comedy film directed by Tim Story and written by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow. The film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jessie T. Usher, Regina Hall, and Richard Roundtree. It is the fifth film in the Shaft series, a sequel to the 2000 film with the same title and was also Roundtree's final portrayal of the original eponymous character John Shaft Sr. before his death in 2023. [6]

Contents

The film was released theatrically in the United States on June 14, 2019, by Warner Bros. Pictures, and digitally in global markets on June 28, 2019, by Netflix. It received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office.

Plot

In 1989, NYPD Detective John Shaft, his wife Maya, and their infant son JJ Shaft survive an assassination attempt by drug lord Pierro "Gordito" Carrera. Concerned for their safety, Maya divorces Shaft, moves upstate, and raises JJ on her own.

Twenty-five years later, Shaft has become a private investigator and JJ is a rookie FBI analyst. JJ's childhood friend and ex-United States Army soldier Karim appears to die of a heroin overdose, but doctor and love interest Sasha concludes he was murdered. JJ turns to his father for aid. Shaft agrees to help, believing JJ's case may lead him to Gordito.

The Shafts survey "Brothers Watching Brothers", the drug rehab clinic Karim founded with fellow ex-soldiers. They learn that Karim stopped going to rehab in favor of attending services at a mosque. JJ and Shaft investigate Bennie Rodriguez, who donated $500,000 to the mosque.

Meanwhile, Maya and John also reunite after not seeing each other since their divorce. Despite resumed tensions between the two, it is also revealed that Maya and John, after the divorce, had agreed that the latter would keep an eye on their son when he moved to New York. The reminder of that promise forces John to remember his responsibility as J.J.'s father.

JJ and Sasha track Bennie to an abandoned warehouse and uncover the operation: "Brothers Watching Brothers" smuggles drugs from overseas, Gordito sells them, and Bennie launders the money. The ring donated to Karim's mosque to buy his silence, then later killed him when he intimidated to blow the whistle. JJ is discovered by the smugglers; Sasha is kidnapped while JJ is rescued by Shaft.

Shaft introduces JJ to his grandfather, John Shaft Sr, who provides them with plenty of weapons. The trio assault Gordito's penthouse and kill the smugglers, avenging Karim's death. JJ rescues Sasha before being confronted at gunpoint by Gordito. Gordito attempts to shoot JJ but Shaft takes the bullet and shoots Gordito, who falls through a window to his death.

In the aftermath, Shaft recovers in the hospital and Bennie is arrested. JJ and Sasha kiss and begin a relationship. JJ joins his father and grandfather in their PI business. The three generations of Shafts strut on the road together.

Cast

Isaach de Bankolé portrays Pierro "Gordito" Carrera, a drug lord. Avan Jogia portrays Karim Hassan, J.J.'s male best friend, a recovering addict helping fellow returning soldiers. Joey Mekyten portrays a young Karim. Lauren Vélez portrays Bennie Rodriguez, Gordito's money launderer. In addition, Cutworth's criminal partners at the rehab center are played by Robbie Jones as Sergeant Keith Williams, and Aaron Dominguez as Staff Sergeant Eddie Dominguez (Bennie's cousin), with Leland Jones appearing as Maya's date Ron, while Baby and Sugar, J.J.'s new friends at the club, are played by Chivonne Michelle and Tashiana Washington, respectively. Adrienne C. Moore as Ms. Pepper the cab driver.

Production

On February 18, 2015, it was announced that New Line Cinema had acquired the rights to the Shaft franchise, featuring detective character John Shaft, and would develop a new film within the series, along with producer John Davis of Davis Entertainment. [8] On July 28, 2015, it was reported that Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow would write the script for the new film, which would also be produced by Ira Napoliello, [9] and on January 20, 2017, the studio hired Tim Story to direct. [10] On August 18, 2017, Jessie T. Usher was cast to play the film's new lead, the son of Samuel L. Jackson's John Shaft II from the 2000 film, while Richard Roundtree and Jackson were set to reprise their previous franchise roles. [11]

In October 2017, Netflix signed a deal with New Line Cinema to cover more than half of the film's $30 million budget in exchange for the rights, which allowed Netflix to release the film on its platform outside of the United States two weeks after the theatrical release in the U.S. [12]

Filming began in February 2018, [13] and wrapped up production in the early part of the year. The cast went back to re-shoot a few scenes in Atlanta in August 2018. [14]

Release

Shaft was theatrically released in the United States on June 14, 2019, by Warner Bros. [15] Netflix released it internationally on June 28, 2019. [12]

Reception

Box office

Shaft was released alongside Men in Black: International , as well as the wider expansion of Late Night in the United States and Canada, and was initially projected to gross $17–20 million from 2,950 theaters in its opening weekend. [5] [4] However, after the film only brought in $2.7 million on its first official release day, which included $600,000 from Thursday night previews, projections were lowered to $7 million. The film went on to gross $21.3 million, grossing $8.3 million in its debut week [16] and another $3.6 million in its second weekend. [17]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 34% based on 130 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Decades removed from the original, this multi-generational Shaft struggles to keep its characters interesting -- or anything other than uncomfortably outdated." [18] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 40 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." [19] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 4 out of 5 stars and a 51% "definite recommend."

Writing for The A.V. Club , Ignatiy Vishnevetsky gave the film a C, writing, "With its groaner jokes and TV-pilot production values, the new film makes the last attempt at updating the character to contemporary action-hero tastes (in 2000's Shaft, directed by John Singleton) look downright old-school. And its identity crises go a lot deeper than the title it confusingly shares with two earlier films." [20]

Notes

    1. ↑ The 2000 film presented Jackson's Shaft as the original John Shaft's nephew; this film retcons him into being his son, mentioning that Sr had lied to his son for decades by pretending to be his uncle. The 2000 film originally planned to have Jackson's Shaft as his son, until executives demanded to reduce the original John Shaft's role and make him an uncle. [7]

    Related Research Articles

    <i>Shaft</i> (1971 film) American blaxploitation crime action thriller film

    Shaft is a 1971 American blaxploitation crime action thriller film directed by Gordon Parks and written by Ernest Tidyman and John D. F. Black. It is an adaptation of Tidyman's novel of the same name and is the first entry in the Shaft film series. The plot revolves around a private detective named John Shaft who is hired by a Harlem mobster to rescue his daughter from the Italian mobsters who kidnapped her. The film stars Richard Roundtree as Shaft, alongside Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John and Lawrence Pressman.

    <i>Shaft</i> (2000 film) American action crime thriller film by John Singleton

    Shaft is a 2000 American action crime thriller film co-written, co-produced, and directed by John Singleton and starring Samuel L. Jackson in the title role with Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Dan Hedaya, Busta Rhymes, Toni Collette and Richard Roundtree. It is a sequel to the 1971 Shaft film, in which Jackson plays the nephew of John Shaft. The film opened at the number-one position at the box office when it debuted June 16, 2000. It received mixed to positive reviews on Metacritic, with the critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes praises Jackson's charisma.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Roundtree</span> American actor (1942–2023)

    Richard Arnold Roundtree was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and four of its sequels, Shaft's Big Score! (1972), Shaft in Africa (1973), its 2000 sequel and its 2019 sequel, as well as the eponymous television series (1973–1974). He was also known for featuring in several TV series, including Roots, Generations, and Desperate Housewives.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">John Shaft</span> Fictional private investigator

    John Shaft is a fictional private investigator created by author/screenwriter Ernest Tidyman for the 1970 novel of the same name. He was portrayed by Richard Roundtree in the original 1971 film and in its four sequels—Shaft's Big Score!, Shaft in Africa, Shaft (2000) and Shaft (2019)—as well as in the seven 1973–74 Shaft television films. Samuel L. Jackson portrayed his son, named John Shaft II, in Shaft (2000) and Shaft (2019), and Jessie Usher portrayed the character's grandson in Shaft (2019). The blurb on the paperback on which the original film is based states Shaft is "Hotter than Bond, cooler than Bullitt."

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Reeves</span> American filmmaker (born 1966)

    Matt Reeves is an American filmmaker who first gained recognition for the WB drama series Felicity (1998–2002), which he co-created with J. J. Abrams. Reeves came to widespread attention for directing the hit monster film Cloverfield (2008). He also directed the vampire drama Let Me In (2010), and the critically acclaimed science fiction sequels Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). He directed the superhero film The Batman (2022), which stars Robert Pattinson as the title character.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">21 Laps Entertainment</span> American production company

    21 Laps, Inc., doing business as 21 Laps Entertainment, is an American film and television production company founded and run by filmmaker Shawn Levy. The company is best known as the producers of Stranger Things, and exclusively distributes content through a partnership with Netflix. It has also produced films like Cheaper by the Dozen, The Spectacular Now, Real Steel, Arrival, and the Night at the Museum franchise, as well as Levy's collaborations with actor and producer Ryan Reynolds, which include Free Guy, The Adam Project and Deadpool & Wolverine. The companies' name originates from the number of laps Levy's eldest daughter ran in a jogathon when she was 5 years old. In addition to the logo, the icon is supposed to represent a race track.

    Mike Flanagan is an American filmmaker, best known for his horror work. Flanagan wrote, directed, produced, and edited the horror films Absentia (2011), Oculus (2013), Hush, Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald's Game (2017), and Doctor Sleep (2019). He created, wrote, produced, and served as showrunner on the Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House (2018), The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021), The Midnight Club (2022), and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023), also directing and editing some episodes of each.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessie T. Usher</span> American actor (born 1992)

    Jessie Thezeire Usher Jr. is an American actor. He is known for playing Lyle on the series Level Up, Cam Calloway on the series Survivor's Remorse, and Reggie Franklin / A-Train in the series The Boys. His film appearances include When the Game Stands Tall (2014), Teenage (2013), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), Shaft (2019), and Smile (2022).

    Josie Totah, formerly known as J. J. Totah, is an American actress. She is known for her recurring role on the Disney Channel series Jessie and supporting role on the 2013 ABC comedy series Back in the Game. Totah received critical praise for her role in the 2016 film Other People. In 2018, she starred in the short-lived NBC comedy series Champions. She starred as Lexi in the 2020 revival of Saved by the Bell, which ran for two seasons.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Willa Fitzgerald</span> American actress (born 1991)

    Willa Fitzgerald is an American actress. She is known for her starring role as Emma Duval in MTV's Scream. She has played cheer coach Colette French in the USA Network's television drama series Dare Me and officer Roscoe Conklin in the Amazon Prime Video television series Reacher. Her other notable roles include Amazon Studios' television series Alpha House, the USA Network's drama series Royal Pains, and Netflix's horror miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher.

    <i>Stronger</i> (film) 2017 film directed by David Gordon Green

    Stronger is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by David Gordon Green and written by John Pollono, based on the memoir of the same name by Jeff Bauman and Bret Witter. It follows Bauman, who loses his legs in the Boston Marathon bombings and must adjust to his new life. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Bauman, with Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson, Carlos Sanz, and Clancy Brown in supporting roles.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Intrepid Pictures</span> US independent production company

    Intrepid Pictures is an American independent film and television production company dedicated to producing elevated commercial content for global mainstream audiences. It was founded in 2004 by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans, and is currently run by Trevor Macy. The company is based in Los Angeles, California.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Monkeypaw Productions</span> American production company

    Monkeypaw Productions is an American independent film and television production company founded in 2012 by Jordan Peele. The company is known for producing horror films, such as Get Out, Us, Candyman, Nope, and Wendell & Wild, as well as other films, such as Keanu and Monkey Man.

    <i>Messiah</i> (American TV series) 2020 American thriller streaming television series

    Messiah is an American thriller television series created by Michael Petroni. It consists of ten episodes, which were released on Netflix on January 1, 2020. The series stars Mehdi Dehbi, Tomer Sisley, Michelle Monaghan, John Ortiz, Melinda Page Hamilton, Stefania LaVie Owen, Jane Adams, Sayyid El Alami, Fares Landoulsi, and Wil Traval.

    <i>Shaft</i> (franchise) Film series

    The Shaft franchise consists of five action-crime feature films and seven television films, centered on a family of African-American police detectives who all share the name John Shaft. The first three features may be described as blaxploitation films, the television film series is a mystery, and the fourth feature installment is a crime thriller. By contrast the fifth film installment, released to Netflix, is a satirical buddy-cop comedy.

    <i>The Banker</i> (2020 film) Film by George Nolfi

    The Banker is a 2020 American period drama film directed, co-written and produced by George Nolfi. The film stars Anthony Mackie, Nicholas Hoult, Nia Long, Jessie T. Usher and Samuel L. Jackson. The story follows Joe Morris (Jackson) and Bernard Garrett (Mackie), two of the first African-American bankers in the United States.

    <i>Dangerous Lies</i> (2020 film) 2020 American psychological thriller film

    Dangerous Lies is a 2020 American psychological thriller film, directed by Michael Scott from a screenplay by David Golden. It stars Camila Mendes, Jessie T. Usher, Jamie Chung, Cam Gigandet, Sasha Alexander and Elliott Gould. It was released on April 30, 2020, by Netflix. In October 2020, Dangerous Lies was nominated for People's Choice Awards in the drama movie category.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">AGBO</span> American film and television production company

    AGBO is an independent entertainment company based in Downtown Los Angeles, founded and led by Anthony and Joe Russo and Mike Larocca. The Russo brothers are best known for their work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), most notably Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Recent television productions by AGBO include Citadel, a television series with Amazon Prime Video starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Recent AGBO films include Extraction, written by Joe Russo and starring Chris Hemsworth; Extraction 2; The Gray Man with Netflix in 2022; and the Academy Award-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once.

    <i>The Upshaws</i> American sitcom

    The Upshaws is an American television sitcom created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes. The series stars Sykes, Mike Epps, Kim Fields, Diamond Lyons, Khali Spraggins, Journey Christine, and Jermelle Simon. The series premiered on Netflix on May 12, 2021. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, with the first part being released on June 29, 2022. The second part of the second season premiered on February 16, 2023. In October 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on August 17, 2023. In December 2023, the series was renewed for a 10-episode fourth season, also called part 6. The six-episode fifth part of The Upshaws, the second half of season 3, premiered on April 18, 2024. In June 2024, the series was renewed for a 12-episode fifth and final season, also called part 7.

    References

    1. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (12 June 2019). "'Shaft' Review: Less Blaxploitation than Buddy Action Comedy". Variety . Retrieved 10 January 2022.
    2. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 29, 2017). "Warner Bros. Moves 'Tag' Up, Sets 2019 Release For 'Shaft' & 'The Goldfinch'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
    3. 1 2 "Shaft (2019)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved August 11, 2019.
    4. 1 2 Fuster, Jeremy (June 11, 2019). "Can 'Men in Black: International' Bring in Moviegoers Without Will Smith?". TheWrap . Retrieved June 12, 2019.
    5. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (June 12, 2019). "Can 'Men In Black: International' Travel To $100M+ Worldwide Opening?". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 12, 2019.
    6. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "Richard Roundtree Dies: 'Shaft' Star Was 81". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 24, 2023.
    7. ↑ "10 Facts About Shaft The Movie Leaves Out". Screen Rant . 30 June 2019.
    8. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (February 18, 2015). "'Shaft' Reboot in the Works at New Line With 'Predator' Producer (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
    9. ↑ Kit, Borys (July 28, 2015). "'Shaft' Getting Remake from 'Black-ish' Creator (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
    10. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 20, 2017). "Tim Story To Direct New Version Of 'Shaft' For New Line". Deadline. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
    11. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 18, 2017). "Jessie T. Usher Tapped As Son Of Shaft; Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtree Reprise". Deadline. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
    12. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 2, 2017). "Netflix Makes 'Shaft' Reboot Deal That Could Change The Model For Urban-Themed Films". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
    13. ↑ Burwick, Kevin (February 2, 2018). "3 Generations of Shaft Unite as Son of Shaft Begins Shooting". MovieWeb.
    14. ↑ "Casting Call! Shaft returns for re-shoots!". WXIA. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
    15. ↑ McNary, Dave (November 29, 2017). "'Shaft' Sequel and Ansel Elgort's 'Goldfinch' Get 2019 Release Dates". Variety. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
    16. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 16, 2019). "'Men In Black: International' Domestic Passport Revoked With $26M Opening, 'Shaft' Drops His Gun With $7M+: Summer Sequelitis, Here We Go Again". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 16, 2019.
    17. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro (June 23, 2019). "'Toy Story 4' Eyeing 3rd Best Animated Pic Opening Of All-Time With $123M+, But Did Disney Leave Money On The Table?". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 23, 2019.
    18. ↑ "Shaft (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 10, 2021.
    19. ↑ "Shaft Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved May 3, 2020.
    20. ↑ Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (June 12, 2019). "We Can't Dig This Shaft". The A.V. Club . Retrieved June 12, 2019.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.