How a bankrupt studio tried to revive a dying franchise with a box office bomb
In short: In 1994, Menahem Golan sought a much-needed hit to save his struggling 21st Century Film Corporation. His solution? A fifth installment of the Death Wish series. But instead of a cinematic comeback, the production faced budget cuts, location shifts, and a legendary star who seemed visibly bored.
Following the 1989 bankruptcy of Cannon Films, producer Menahem Golan launched 21st Century Film Corporation with a mission to find a blockbuster. He turned to an unused late-1980s screenplay involving Paul Kersey at Alcatraz, but abandoned it due to high costs. Instead, he commissioned a new script by Michael Colleary, resulting in Death Wish V: The Face of Death.
The production was a saga of financial constraints. Originally, director Steve Carver began work, but he was replaced by Allan A. Goldstein after Golan decided to pare down the budget. The film's physical journey was equally unstable; after initially considering various US locations, the crew moved to a studio in Wilmington, North Carolina, to avoid union costs. However, because a large portion of the budget was consumed by Charles Bronson's salary, the production was forced to relocate again to Toronto, Ontario.
The results were disastrous. Released by Trimark Pictures on January 14, 1994, the film earned just $503,936 during its opening weekend and an estimated $1.7 million in the US market. Critics were scathing: the Los Angeles Times noted Bronson's perceptible boredom, while the New York Times criticized the film's sadistic violence. Even the Washington Post observed that Bronson, approaching 73 years old, was perhaps too old for the action hero role.
While the film failed theatrically, it found a more stable presence in the video and television markets. Despite Golan's plans for a sixth film featuring a new protagonist, the project died alongside his company, which went bankrupt in 1996.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Death Wish V: The Face of Death
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