Race (2016 film)
Race | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Stephen Hopkins |
Written by |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Peter Levy |
Edited by | John Smith |
Music by | Rachel Portman |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Focus Features |
Release dates |
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Running time | 134 minutes[1] |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Budget | $5 million[2] |
Box office | $21.5 million[3] |
Race is a 2016 biographical sports drama film about African American athlete Jesse Owens, who won a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.[4] Directed by Stephen Hopkins and written by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, the film stars Stephan James as Owens, and co-stars Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, William Hurt and Carice van Houten.
Principal photography began on July 24, 2014, in Montreal, Canada. Forecast Pictures, Solofilms, and Trinity Race produced the film, Entertainment One released the film in Canada, Focus Features in the United States on February 19, 2016, Eagle Pictures will release it in Italy on March 31, 2016, and SquareOne Entertainment will release in Germany on May 5, 2016. The film was supported by the Owens family, the Jesse Owens Foundation, the Jesse Owens Trust and the Luminary Group.[4]
Cast
- Stephan James as Jesse Owens
- Jason Sudeikis as Larry Snyder
- Jeremy Irons as Avery Brundage
- Carice van Houten as Leni Riefenstahl
- William Hurt as Jeremiah Mahoney
- Shanice Banton as Ruth Solomon-Owens
- Amanda Crew as Peggy
- Jeremy Ferdman as Marty Glickman
- Barnaby Metschurat as Joseph Goebbels
- David Kross as Carl "Luz" Long
- Glynn Turman as Harry Davis
- Jonathan Aris as Arthur Lill
- Shamier Anderson as Eulace Peacock
- Tony Curran as Lawson Robertson
- Nicholas Woodeson as Fred Rubien
- Giacomo Gianniotti as Sam Stoller
- Eli Goree as Dave Albritton
- Anthony Sherwood as Rev. Ernest Hall
- Jon McLaren as Trent
- Tim McInnerny as General Charles
- Vlasta Vrána as St. John
- Adrian Zwicker as Adolf Hitler
Production
Development
John Boyega was initially set to star as Owens, however he eventually dropped out to star in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[5][6] and was subsequently replaced by Stephan James.[7] German and Canadian distribution is being handled by Squareone Entertainment and Entertainment One [8] with Focus Features handling the distribution in the United States.[9]
Filming
Principal photography commenced on July 24, 2014, in Montreal, and on location at Olympic Stadium in Berlin.[10]
Release
On October 1, 2014, Focus Features originally set a release date for April 8, 2016.[11] In August 2015, the release date was pushed back to February 19, 2016.[12]
On February 15, an advanced screening was shown at Mershon Auditorium at The Ohio State University, Owens' alma mater. James and Owens' two daughters were in attendance and addressed the crowd. The President of Ohio State, Michael V. Drake, also addressed the crowd and spoke briefly about Owens' global impact and life at Ohio State.[13]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, pre-release tracking suggested the film would gross $4–7 million from 2,369 theaters in its opening weekend, trailing fellow newcomer Risen ($7–12 million projection) but similar to The Witch ($5–7 million projection).[14] It ended up grossing $7.4 million in its opening weekend, finishing in sixth at the box office.[15]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 61%, based on 112 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Race is nowhere near as thrillingly fleet or agile as its subject, but the story – and a winning central performance from Stephan James – are enough to carry it over the finish line".[16] Metacritic reports a score of 56 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[17] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[15]
References
- ^ "RACE (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ "Film Review: Race". Consequence of Sound. February 18, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ "Race (2016)". The Numbers. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
- ^ a b Fleming Jr, Mike (July 16, 2014). "Focus Features First To Start Line On Crowded Field Of Jesse Owens Biopics". deadline.com. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ^ McNary, Dave (January 24, 2014). "Jesse Owens Biopic Finds Its Leading Man". variety.com. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ^ Zimmerman, Amy (April 30, 2014). "John Boyega, the Hero of 'Star Wars: Episode VII,' Has the Force". thedailybeast.com. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (May 28, 2014). "'Star Wars' Hero John Boyega to Be Replaced by 'Selma' Actor in Jesse Owens Biopic". thewrap.com. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ^ Barraclough, Leo (February 7, 2014). "Jesse Owens Biopic Gets Boost From Family". variety.com. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (May 7, 2014). "Focus Features in Negotiations to Board Jesse Owens Biopic 'Race'". thewrap.com. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ^ Kit, Borys (July 16, 2014). "Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons Join Jesse Owens Drama 'Race'". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ^ "Jesse Owens Biopic 'Race' Release Date Set For April 2016; William Hurt Joins Cast". deadline.com. October 1, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (August 27, 2015). "Focus Features Moves Up Jesse Owens Drama 'Race' to February 2016". thewrap.com. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ^ https://news.osu.edu/news/2016/02/09/media-advisory-ohio-state-to-celebrate-jesse-owens-legacy-with-red-carpet-screening/
- ^ "'Deadpool' Still Cool In Weekend 2 With Superhero Set To Pass $200M – Box Office Preview". deadline.com.
- ^ a b "'Deadpool' Strong With Second Weekend Of $55M; 'Risen' Takes $11.8M, 'Witch' At $8.7M". deadline.com.
- ^ "Race (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ "Race reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
External links
- 2016 films
- Jesse Owens
- American films
- Canadian films
- German films
- English-language films
- 2010s biographical films
- 2010s drama films
- 2010s sports films
- American biographical films
- American drama films
- American sports films
- Canadian biographical films
- Canadian drama films
- Canadian sports films
- German biographical films
- German drama films
- German sports films
- Biographical films about sportspeople
- Chase films
- Drama films based on actual events
- Films about the Olympic Games
- Films directed by Stephen Hopkins
- Films set in Berlin
- Films set in Cleveland, Ohio
- Films set in the 1930s
- Films shot in Berlin
- Films shot in Montreal
- Running films
- Sports films based on actual events
- Works about the 1936 Summer Olympics
- Entertainment One films
- Focus Features films
- TriStar Pictures films