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Bloodshot (film)
2020 film by David S. F. Wilson From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bloodshot is a 2020 American superhero film directed by David S. F. Wilson and written by Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer.[3] It is based on the comic book character and stars Vin Diesel as Ray Garrison, a soldier who is killed in action and subsequently revived with advanced nanotechnology, granting him superhuman abilities.[4] The supporting cast includes Eiza González, Sam Heughan, Toby Kebbell, Lamorne Morris, and Guy Pearce. The narrative follows Garrison as he seeks to uncover the truth behind his resurrection while being manipulated by the organization that created him.
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The film premiered at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on March 10, 2020, and was released theatrically in the United States on March 13 by Sony Pictures Releasing. Its release coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to widespread theater closures; the film was made available on video on demand less than two weeks later. Bloodshot grossed approximately $37.3 million worldwide against a production budget of $45 million and received generally negative reviews from critics, with praise for its visual effects and action sequences but criticism directed at Diesel’s performance and the film’s narrative.[5]
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Plot
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After successfully leading a hostage rescue mission in Mombasa, U.S. Marine Ray Garrison travels with his wife, Gina, to the Amalfi Coast for a holiday. They are soon abducted by mercenaries led by Martin Axe, who demands to know how the U.S. military learned the hostages' location. When Ray is unable to answer, Axe murders Gina in front of him and subsequently kills Ray as well.
Ray later awakens in the laboratory of Rising Spirit Technologies (RST) in Kuala Lumpur. Dr. Emil Harting, the company's CEO, explains that Ray has been resurrected as part of the "Bloodshot" program, which replaces his blood with nanites that enhance his strength, reflexes, and healing abilities. However, the nanites require frequent recharging, or Ray will die again. Ray is introduced to other RST-enhanced former soldiers, including KT, Jimmy Dalton, and Marcus Tibbs.
Haunted by fragmented memories of Gina’s murder, Ray uses RST’s technology to track down and kill Axe in Budapest. After the mission, RST wipes his memory and implants new ones, replacing the identity of Gina’s killer. Each time, Ray is sent to eliminate a different former RST associate, believing them to be responsible for her death. KT begins to question Harting’s manipulation of Ray’s memories, but is reminded that RST can deactivate her enhancements at any time.
Ray is eventually sent to kill Nick Baris, another supposed culprit. However, Baris’s programmer, Wilfred Wigans, uses an EMP device to sever Ray’s connection to RST and reveal the truth: Ray’s memories are fabricated and he is being used as a weapon to eliminate Harting’s enemies. Ray locates Gina, discovering she is alive and has moved on with her life, having separated from him years earlier.
KT, seeking freedom from RST, allies with Wigans to disable the company’s control systems. After Ray is recaptured by Dalton and Tibbs, KT and Wigans sabotage the reprogramming process and destroy the RST servers. Ray battles and kills Dalton and Tibbs in the ensuing conflict, as the facility collapses around them.
In a final confrontation, Harting attempts to stop Ray with a grenade launcher, confident that the depleted nanites will render Ray powerless. Defiant, Ray sacrifices himself by detonating a grenade, killing them both. Sometime later, Ray awakens—revived by Wigans with upgraded, self-sustaining nanites—and drives off into a new life with KT.
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Cast
- Vin Diesel as Ray Garrison / Bloodshot
- Eiza González as KT
- Sam Heughan as Jimmy Dalton
- Toby Kebbell as Martin Ax
- Talulah Riley as Gina Garrison
- Lamorne Morris as Wilfred Wigans
- Guy Pearce as Dr. Emil Harting
- Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Nick Baris
- Alex Hernandez as Marcus Tibbs
- Siddharth Dhananjay as Eric
- Keeno-Lee Hector as Lead Technician
Production
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Development
In March 2015, Columbia Pictures acquired the film rights to the Valiant Comics character Bloodshot, with plans for the project to be produced by Original Film and Valiant Entertainment. Jeff Wadlow was initially hired to write the screenplay.[6] The following month, Sony Pictures, Original Film, and Valiant announced a five-picture deal to adapt Valiant Comics characters for film, with Bloodshot included as part of the slate. Chad Stahelski and David Leitch were attached to direct from a script by Wadlow and Eric Heisserer but eventually departed the project.[7] In March 2017, Dave Wilson was announced as the director, marking his feature directorial debut.[8] Screenwriter Adam Cozad later contributed to revisions of the script.[9]
Casting
In July 2017, Jared Leto was reported to be in early talks to play the titular role, but by March 2018, Vin Diesel had officially signed on to star as Ray Garrison / Bloodshot.[10][11] In May 2018, Sam Heughan, Michael Sheen, and Eiza González joined the cast, with Talulah Riley and Alex Hernandez added in June as Gina and Tibbs, respectively.[12][13] Toby Kebbell and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson were cast in villainous roles, with Kebbell portraying Martin Axe.[14][15] Lamorne Morris was added in August as programmer Wilfred Wigans.[16] That same month, Guy Pearce entered talks to replace Sheen, who exited the project due to scheduling conflicts.[17] In a later interview, Valiant's publisher and CEO Dinesh Shamdasani revealed that a planned post-credits cameo by Ken Watanabe as Toyo Harada was scrapped due to changes in character rights.
Filming
Principal photography began on August 6, 2018, with filming locations including Cape Town, South Africa; Prague, Czech Republic; and Budapest, Hungary.[18][19] Production officially wrapped on October 25, 2018.[20]
Soundtrack
The film's score was composed by Steve Jablonsky. The official soundtrack was released by Sony Classical.
Release
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Bloodshot held its world premiere at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles, on March 10, 2020. It was released theatrically in the United States on March 13, 2020, by Sony Pictures Releasing, having been originally scheduled for February 21.[21] The film also opened on the same day in several international markets, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, and Spain.[22]
In response to widespread theater closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sony announced on March 18 that Bloodshot would be made available via digital video on demand in the United States and Canada starting March 24, just eleven days after its theatrical debut and well before the standard 90-day theatrical window.[23][24] Upon release, the film became the most-watched title on Amazon Prime Video and ranked fourth on iTunes during its first three days. By May 2020, it topped the Digital Entertainment Group's "Watched at Home Top 20" list for the week ending May 9.[5][25]
As pandemic restrictions began to ease, Bloodshot was among the first films to return to cinemas, playing at three Santikos Theatres locations in San Antonio, Texas, beginning May 1, 2020.[26] It was subsequently released in China on July 24, 2020, and returned to AMC Theatres in the United States in August 2020 as part of the chain's reopening slate.[27][28]
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Reception
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Box office
Bloodshot grossed $10 million in the United States and Canada, and $27.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $37.1 million against a production budget of $45 million.[2]
In North America, the film was released alongside The Hunt and I Still Believe, and was projected to earn around $10 million from 2,861 theaters in its opening weekend.[29] It made $3.8 million on its first day, including $1.2 million from Thursday night previews, and debuted to $9.3 million, finishing second at the box office behind Onward. The weekend marked one of the lowest-grossing overall box office periods since October 1998, with all films combining for $55.3 million, largely due to the emerging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[30] In its second weekend, with widespread theater closures, the film earned just $52,000 from 79 locations, mostly drive-ins.[31]
After multiple delays, the film was released in China on July 24, 2020, and grossed $2.8 million during its opening weekend.[32]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, Bloodshot holds an approval rating of 31% based on 169 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Bloodshot gives Vin Diesel a solid opportunity to indulge in old-school action that should satisfy fans, even if the end result is disappointingly mediocre."[33] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 44 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[34] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported an average of 3 out of 5 stars, with 45% of viewers saying they would definitely recommend it.[30]
Owen Gleiberman of Variety described the film as "a trash compactor of a comic-book film," but praised it as "smart trash" that is fun in execution.[35] The Hollywood Reporter’s Justin Löwe noted that director Dave Wilson emphasized pacing over character development but succeeded in delivering energetic, effects-driven sequences.[36] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film 2 out of 4 stars, calling it "frantically overcooked" with "headache-inducing, rapid-cut action sequences."[37]
Conversely, Angelica Jade Bastién of Vulture criticized Vin Diesel's performance, writing that he "lacks the gravitas of delivery" and appears disengaged.[38] Joshua Rivera of The Verge found the film uninspiring, saying it was "not bad enough to circle back around toward fun" and unimpressive as an action film.[39] Odie Henderson of RogerEbert.com dismissed it as a "Universal Soldier rip-off" and expressed hope that no sequels would follow.[40]
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Accolades
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Future
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Bloodshot was intended to launch a shared cinematic universe based on Valiant Comics characters. The original plan included two Harbinger films, followed by a crossover event titled Harbinger Wars, inspired by the 2013 comic book storyline.[7] Although Harbinger was initially slated to be the first installment, development shifted focus to Bloodshot.[45][7]
In September 2019, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to Harbinger from Sony, raising questions about the feasibility of a cohesive Valiant cinematic universe due to the split in character rights.[46][47][48] Despite these challenges, director David S. F. Wilson expressed optimism in March 2020 about continuing the franchise, emphasizing Vin Diesel's central role in future developments.[49]
In November 2020, DMG Entertainment announced that a Bloodshot sequel was officially in development, with Vin Diesel set to reprise his role.[50] CEO Dan Mintz highlighted the film's success in post-theatrical markets as a driving factor for the sequel. By December 2020, Diesel confirmed his involvement in the project.[51]
As of now, no release date has been announced for Bloodshot 2, and details regarding the continuation of the broader Valiant cinematic universe remain uncertain.
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References
External links
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