Death Race (2008) doesn't have much in common with 1975's campy Death Race 2000, other than the fact cars are involved and there's plenty of speed. In this new version, Jason Statham stars as speedway champ Jensen Ames, an ex-con framed for a murder he didn't commit. Presented with the choice of spending the rest of his life rotting away in jail or donning a Frankenstein mask and competing in a 'death race', Ames chooses to drive. With his freedom at stake, Ames has to use every ounce of his skill to survive the world's craziest spectator sport.
Death Race director Paul W.S. Anderson (AVP: Alien vs Predator) asked Statham not to watch the original movie before taking on the role of Ames. "He just didn’t want anything that would interfere with his idea of the film," explained Statham. "It’s not a remake. It’s just a homage. So he said, 'If you can, try not to see it.'"
Another request from Anderson had to do with Statham's build. The actor's used to bulking up for roles, but Death Race's director wanted him to get lean and mean. Statham trained with Logan Hood, one of the guy's responsible for Gerard Butler's cut physique in 300, and he shows off all of his new body in one revealing prison scene. "That is the leanest I’ve ever been," acknowledged Statham. "Paul W.S. Anderson wanted me to change and get fit. He had an idea of me being really skinny and ripped. It’s sometimes good to give yourself a little challenge, anyway, and give yourself some discipline. It works rather well."
Death Race is loaded with car scenes – Statham considers it "one of the best car action movies for the last 10 years, at least" - and lots of stunt cars sacrificed their bodies during filming. "Any action movie that involves cars has multiple copies of the same car, so when they get mangled and bashed, they just slip in the next one. One of the most difficult things was the fact that they don’t have a lot of vision. The cars were covered in armor, and there was very little vision that you could really draw any confidence from. It was quite nerve-wracking to know where you are and who’s coming up and who’s not coming up. The track was just full of dangerous pylons and steel girders. One mistake and it’s over. So, it was a massive concern for the stunt coordinators involved, just because of the danger that those kind of things present. We just had to go and do the best we could," explained Statham.
Although the action zooms by, Statham's not sure what speed he reached when he was actually driving. "It’s hard to say. The track was made of bits and pieces. We shot in different locations and made it look like it was one big track, but there were different locations to make up the different areas. We were not really going as fast as you might imagine, but it’s pretty fast. It depends on what you call fast."
Statham's a car enthusiast who loves old Aston Martins. "I’m a big fan of those and the early Jags, the XK120’s, E Types, just to mention a few British cars. I also like a lot of the muscle cars. I mean the Shelby Cobra…my friend’s got a really beautiful version and he won’t let me drive it. I don’t know why. I drive a 2008 GT2 Porsche, the new one, and I’ve got an Audi that I kick around in as well, as they say."
Statham's liked cars since he was a kid, although he's not fanatical about them. He does admit to enjoying the thrill of going fast behind the wheel of anything that moves. "If you ever go to a track, if you ever go-cart racing, it’s really exciting. There’s a great go-cart track no so far from where I live back in the U.K. We’ve been there many times. In fact, when we made Snatch, we took Brad [Pitt] and Benicio [Del Toro] and the whole cast of Snatch go-carting. Yeah, we had a great time. It was a great day. Obviously I won," laughed Statham.
Asked for his favorite scene in Death Race, Statham answer reflected his love of fast cars. "I liked a lot of the car stuff. It’s a car movie. It’s not The Godfather. Some of the deaths are just gory and hilarious. I like the fact that death can be gruesome and funny. I think it’s important not to take it too seriously. This is entertainment. Everyone who sees it seems to get their money’s worth."
And Statham wouldn't be adverse to seeing Death Race made into a franchise. "I hope so, yeah. I really enjoyed working with Paul, and all the cast was great. It sets itself up for part two being in Mexico somewhere. I’d be very happy to shoot another one."
