Death Race (film)
| Death Race | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Paul W. S. Anderson |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Paul W. S. Anderson |
| Based on |
The Racer by Ib Melchior |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Paul Haslinger |
| Cinematography | Scott Kevan |
| Edited by | Niven Howie |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $45 million |
| Box office | $75.7 million |
Death Race is a 2008 American science fiction action thriller film produced, written, and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and starring Jason Statham.
Though referred to as a remake of the 1975 film Death Race 2000 (based on Ib Melchior's short story "The Racer") in reviews and marketing materials, director Paul W.S. Anderson stated in the DVD commentary that he thought of the film as something of a prequel.
A remake had been in development since 2002, though production was delayed by disapproval of early screenplays then placed in turnaround following a dispute between Paramount Pictures and the producer duo Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner (the latter was the producer without Cruise in the film). Death Race was acquired by Universal Studios, and Anderson re-joined the project to write and direct. Filming began in Montreal in August 2007, and the completed project was released on August 22, 2008.
Two direct to video prequels were released: Death Race 2 (2010) and Death Race 3: Inferno (2013).
In 2012, the collapse of the US economy and the subsequent increase in crime rates leads to the rise of privatized prisons. One such prison is Terminal Island Penitentiary, whose warden, Claire Hennessey, earns her profits by broadcasting a modern gladiator game participated by the prisoners. In the game "Death Race," the racers, along with their navigators, compete in a 3-part race over 3 days on a closed track. The track is littered with pressure plates that activate either the cars' offensive weapons, defensive equipment or deadly traps. Any racer winning 5 races will be granted freedom.
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Wikipedia