The 1975 film Death Race 2000 was based on the premise that hit-and-run incidents would no longer be illegal in the year 2000. In fact, they would constitute the national sport, and a way to get bonus points while participating in a fictitious event named the Transcontinental Road Race.
The new millennium has come and gone and motorists still get jail time instead of Grand Theft Auto-style bonus points if they plow down a pedestrian. Death Race 2000, however, has become a cult classic, so it’s not surprising that a remake named Death Race 2050 is in the works. The movie is scheduled to come out early next year.
The movie’s official trailer reveals that the United States of America no longer exists in 34 years’ time. It’s been re-named the United Corporations of America, and the states have been replaced by bigger regions with satirical names such as Onepercentia, Gasarcana, and Pharmatopia. Eight racers line up at the starting grid to participate in a deadly, highly-speed jaunt across the nation called simply Death Race.
Pedestrians stand a better chance of surviving an impact with a car today than ever before thanks to modern safety standards that dictate what a car can and can’t look like, and thanks to tech features like automatic emergency braking (AEB). None of this matters in 2050, though, and the racers are sitting behind the wheel of cars specifically modified to inflict as much damage as possible to innocent bystanders. Fins, spikes, and other sharp, metallic objects help each team score as many points as possible. Adults in the prime of life are merely worth ten points, while senior citizens are worth 50 points each.
The film is directed by Roger Corman, the storied 90-year-old independent producer and director who made the original film over four decades ago. It’s a straight-to-video flick so it won’t hit the big screen, but it’s coming out on Blu-Ray on January 17, 2017.
