Sean Bean Joins Death Race

Even though Universal’s prequel to the 2008 remake of Death Race 2000 is going straight to DVD, the studio is making sure that the DVD will attract viewers with a decent cast. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision Blog, Sean Bean has joined the cast to star opposite Luke Goss in Death Race 2 (also being reported as Death Race: Frankenstein Lives).

Sean Bean, who can be seen right now in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, joins cast members Ving Rhames, Danny Trejo, Frederick Koehler and Lauren Cohan.  Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) is producing, with Roel Reine (the Marine 2) in the director’s chair.  The script by Tony Giglio is set before the events of the first film.

The prequel story tells of Carl Lucas (Goss) who is a convicted cop killer. When sent to the most notorious prison facility of all, he agrees to become a driver in a lethal reality show/driving spectacle that the prison has conceived. With the chance of winning his freedom which is the grand prize, the offer is too good to pass up.

The film started principal photography in mid-February and is shooting in Cape Town, South Africa.  The film will be released under Universal’s DVD Originals Banner.  The banner’s most recent release was Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball.