How a direct-to-video heist film launched a massive two hundred million dollar production deal

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 2011 action thriller Setup, starring Curtis 50 Cent Jackson and Bruce Willis, bypassed theaters entirely to debut on home media. Beyond its gritty Detroit-set plot of betrayal and revenge, the film holds a unique place in industry history as the inaugural project of a significant multi-film financing agreement.

Directed by Mike Gunther, who co-wrote the script with Mike Behrman, Setup follows three friends in Detroit who execute a five-million-dollar diamond heist. The narrative pivots when one friend, Vincent, betrays the group, killing one accomplice and leaving Sonny, played by 50 Cent, for dead. Sonny survives and seeks retribution by aligning with Biggs, a dangerous local mob boss portrayed by Bruce Willis. The plot spirals through a series of violent confrontations, interrogations, and double-crosses, ultimately exploring themes of free will and moral consequence.

The production of Setup began in November 2010 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It serves as the first entry in a substantial two-hundred-million-dollar deal between Cheetah Vision—the production company co-founded by Randall Emmett and 50 Cent—and George Furla’s Hedge Fund Film Partners. Lionsgate handled the distribution in the United States and Canada through its Grindstone Entertainment Group label, opting for a direct-to-video release on September 20, 2011.

While the film was released straight to DVD and Blu-ray in the American market, it saw theatrical or international distribution in various territories. By November 2022, the film had grossed over two million dollars across markets including Russia, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. The film’s conclusion, which sees Sonny spare Vincent’s life after a final confrontation, leaves the protagonist reflecting on the cycle of vengeance, famously noting that an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The high-octane heist that became a landmark of Black cinema
• The heist film that spent fourteen years in development before hitting the big screen
• Why did a star-studded 2005 crime drama fail to meet its cinematic ambitions?
• How a Troubled $100 Million Crime Epic Became a Global Box Office Success
• A high-octane heist film that failed critics but conquered the global box office
• Buster Keaton hated this film, but a last-minute rock avalanche saved his career.
• Could a charismatic general really orchestrate a military coup against the American president?
• A romantic comedy that struggled to find its footing both on and off screen
• Why did a 2008 Will Smith thriller leave critics baffled and audiences divided?
• Why a 1994 satire about a murderous housewife became a cult classic
• Can a film about a blocked screenwriter become a meta-commentary on its own violence?
• A French comedy about family prejudice became a massive hit despite international controversy.

More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics