Paul WS Anderson Begins Work on a Prequel to Death Race
Quote:
Paul WS Anderson never seems to stop working. It’s a lot easier, sure, when working with unabashedly commercial projects, but if some of the filmmakers that I like a lot more could manage to work half as often as he does, this would be a very different cinema landscape. Now, according to Shock Till You Drop, Anderson is working on a prequel to his 2008 film Death Race. Which, wait a second, means he’s writing a prequel to a prequel?
Death Race was the film that explained the early days of the deadly road sport depicted in the truly entertaining Roger Corman and Paul Bartel film Death Race 2000. Anderson explained at Comic Con ‘07 that he always wondered how the race depicted in that movie became a national sport sanctioned by the President of the US, so he wrote the film in which Jason Statham’s faceless racer Frankenstein had to break out of prison. Anderson’s film ended (spoilers, I suppose) with Frankenstein and a couple of fellow escapees living a free life in a nicer part of the world.
The idea of a sequel to that prequel had been discussed right from the start. (As well as a video game, which never materialized.) But the film only made $36m domestic, so now Anderson has written a story that will be scripted by Tony Giglio (who may also direct) and the gist is that it will “delve into the past of the driver known as Frankenstein.” The Shock article is a little confusing, because the words prequel and sequel are both used, but what this says to me is that this story takes place before Anderson’s movie. (I’ve emailed Shock to clarify.)
Meanwhile, I’ve mostly written this article as a way to urge anyone who’s never seen Death Race 2000 to rent it immediately. It is a legitimately fun, weird, almost subversive movie with a great performance by David Carradine and a hilarious turn by Sylvester Stallone. It contains the origins of a whole lot of action movie tropes, but also has low-budget touches everyone loves. Like what? The title card is drawn in colored pencil! Paul Bartel is a director that doesn’t get his due these days, and it’s a great effort from him.
Death Race was the film that explained the early days of the deadly road sport depicted in the truly entertaining Roger Corman and Paul Bartel film Death Race 2000. Anderson explained at Comic Con ‘07 that he always wondered how the race depicted in that movie became a national sport sanctioned by the President of the US, so he wrote the film in which Jason Statham’s faceless racer Frankenstein had to break out of prison. Anderson’s film ended (spoilers, I suppose) with Frankenstein and a couple of fellow escapees living a free life in a nicer part of the world.
Well, um...maybe the original was supposed to be social satire? Y'know, with it being in the future, 'n everything?
I mean, sort of like how international politics was someday supposed to be replaced by socialistic mega-corporations and Rollerball tournaments?
Whose remake also wussed out by having our characters escape to Good Things and having everything be all right again?
A little over three months ago we reported on the news that the mindlessly fun 2008 movie, Death Race, was going to be getting a sequel – or rather, as was reported at the time by Shock Till You Drop, a prequel that would lead up to the first Death Race and Jason Statham’s antics as top driver Jensen Ames.
And now, thanks to SpoilerTV we get some info on both what the plot and the characters will be , by way of casting call info. Nothing has changed in terms of it being a prequel, in fact this news is kind of a confirmation of that. It will indeed take place before the first film, this time being called Death Race: Frankenstein Lives (Frankenstein is the name of the top driver, FYI, they’re not just trying to turn it into a horror movie for no reason…).
So what is writer Tony Giglio (overseen by the first film’s director, Paul W.S. Anderson, who’s serving as exec producer on this one) going to bring to the car-driving mayhem this time around? Something different to the first one, maybe? Perhaps going a bit more serious this time, exploring the collapse of the U.S. economy and such that led to the state of the affairs we witnessed in Death Race? Apparently not, as by the sounds of the following info, it’s almost an EXACT replica of the original (inevitably minus Statham and Co. from the first). Along with a one line plot description, here’s just some of the casting call info for some of the main characters:
Quote:
STORY LINE: Newly arrived at Terminal Island, a prison for the most nonredeemable of convicts, CARL “LUKE” LUCAS must prove his mettle in a race to the death…
[CARL "LUKE" LUCAS]
In his 20s-30, American, European, British, Australian, Latino, etc., handsome and confident, with a hint of danger, Lucas has been in trouble since the age of 12. Right-hand man to a notorious mobster for twelve years, he is sent away for life
after killing a cop in the course of robbing a bank. Offered a deal by the DA if he turns state’s evidence, Lucas opts to take his chances behind bars, where he soon captures the attention of a violence-peddling television producer. Possessed of some serious driving skills, assertive, strong, and charismatic, Lucas is a natural fit for the ultimate test, aka, the “Death Race.”…LEAD (2) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY
[SEPTEMBER JONES]
In her 20s – early 30s, a model turned journalist, September is is “insatiably ambitious and eye-poppingly gorgeous,” a woman who knows how to use what she’s got to get what she wants. She’s callous and self-serving, dressed provocatively, with the soul of an ice-pick, but the brains to know how to market violence to the masses. When ratings for her gladiator-style television show begin plummeting, September is quick to come up with the “Death Race” concept, thrilled by its stunning success sptv050769…LEAD (2) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY
[ELIZABETH JAYNE CASE]
In her 20s – early 30s, and sexy, she is a card girl for the fight matches, later a navigator when the prisoners are forced to test their driving skills. Intelligent (valedictorian of her high school class), decent, with a good heart, Case landed in prison after killing her abusive cop husband. Quick to come to the aide of girl in peril or help Lucas outwit an adversary, she’s a courageous, admirable young woman. Teamed with Lucas for a death race, the chemistry soon heats up between the two…LEAD (16) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY
[DOUGLAS WEYLAND]
In his 30s – 60, American or foreign, bold, opulent and self-indulgent, the CEO and Founder of the Weyland Corporation, he is a opportunist at best, a man who makes millions on the backs of others. Clearly not immune to September’s come-hither charm, he agrees to produce a televised gladiator-style series of fighting matches, later disappointed by the ratings. However, he’s quite impressed when September’s idea for a race to the death has the viewers tuning in again…LEAD (11) STAR NAMES ONLY – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY
For the rest of the info, you can head over to SpoilerTV.
If you’ve seen the first Death Race, you’ll already recognize a lot of what’s described above. Now I must get to the obvious question, namely, why even make this prequel? It’s clearly not bringing anything new to the table, and it’s apparently going straight-to-DVD, so it’s not like it’s going to collect on a huge box office return (the first one made decent money, doubling its $45 million budget to make almost $100 million if you count DVD sales). And it remains to be seen whether any of the original cast, notably Statham, will make a return, but logic story-wise (since it’s a prequel) that just doesn’t make any sense.
I said it when this prequel was announced – I really enjoyed Death Race for what it was and wouldn’t mind a sequel. I wouldn’t be terribly excited about it, but at least I’d give it a shot. But this prequel… I realize it’s all about the driving carnage, but c’mon, they could’ve come up with something a LITTLE different than just copying the first.
What do you think of the info for the Death Race prequel? Have you seen the original and do you think what they have in store for the prequel is going to be more fun, or just a more of the same?
Death Race: Frankenstein Lives is supposedly to start shooting on February 22nd, 2010. No release date (theatrical or DVD) has been set as of yet.
I seem to be in the minority when I say that 2008’s Death Race was a complete and utter waste of time, however somebody must have been listening, as the completely unwarranted sequel appears to be heading straight for a bargain bin near you!
Death Race 2, a completely unnecessary prequel to the original film (which starred Jason Statham) has an ok cast by all accounts. Starring Luke Goss, Ving Rhames and Sean Bean, the film is directed by Roel Reiné and has already begun principal photography. Check out the official press release below for more:
Start your engines…and load your weapons. The explosive, all-new high-octane Death Race 2 began principal photography on February 13, 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa. The spectacular prequel to Paul W.S. Anderson’s audacious re-imagining of the Roger Corman cult classic stars Luke Goss (Hellboy 2: The Golden Army), Ving Rhames (Con Air, Pulp Fiction), Sean Bean (National Treasure, Lord of the Rings trilogy), Danny Trejo (Planet Terror, “Burn Notice”), Frederick Koehler (“Oz,” “Touching Evil”) and Lauren Cohan (“Supernatural”) and promises even more outrageously outfitted muscle cars and death-defying stunts in a deadly driving competition. Director Roel Reiné (The Marine 2, The Lost Tribe) takes the helm of the adrenaline-fueled chronicle of Frankenstein, the greatest Death Race driver of all time, in an all-out thrill ride through a dystopian future.
The screenplay is by Tony Giglio (Chaos), from a story by Paul W.S. Anderson. A top-flight production team has also been assembled, including director of photography John McKay, production designer Johnny Breedt, editor Josh Galvin and costume designer Moira Meyer.
The latest in the hugely successful line of DVD Originals™ from Universal Studios Home Entertainment Productions, Death Race 2 is produced by Paul W.S. Anderson and Jeremy Bolt and executive produced by Paula Wagner and Mike Elliott. Death Race 2 is an official South African/German Co-Production, produced in South Africa by Universal Pictures Productions GmbH and Moonlighting Death Race Films C.C. and co-produced by Genevieve Hofmeyr and Ralph Tuebben.
Since its introduction in 2005, Universal’s extensive DVD Originals™ slate of new live-action and animated content has dominated sales charts, scored impressive ratings on television network and cable outlets, performed successfully in multi-international markets and helped to shape the made-for-DVD arena. The high profile string of hits includes multiple installments of the powerhouse Bring It On and American Pie franchises as well as the epic saga Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior and most recently the explosive action release, Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball .
Death Race 2 takes place in the very near future, as the United States economy begins to decline and violent crime starts to spiral out of control. To contain the growing criminal population, a vast network of for-profit, private prisons springs up, creating a lawless subculture ruled by gangs, cold-blooded killers and sociopaths. The worst of these prisons is Terminal Island. Convicted cop-killer Carl Lucas arrives on the Island to serve his life sentence just as ruthlessly ambitious television personality September Jones launches the ultimate reality show, Death Race. A brutal prison yard demolition derby that pits prisoners against each other in steel reinforced, heavily armed vehicles, Death Race offers the winner the ultimate prize: freedom — if he can survive to enjoy it. When Lucas signs up to be a driver, the stage is set for the birth of a legendary racer.
I don’t know what’s worse, that Death Race is still going or that the original title for this little treat was Death Race: Frankenstein Lives!
Sean Bean = I'm up for watching it. I'm a big fan of his work.
All countries
Argentina
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Colombia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
India
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Paul WS Anderson Begins Work on a Prequel to Death Race
Linear Mode
