Smuggler's Run: The Movie

Smuggler's Run: The Movie is a 2004 live-action adventure racing film directed by Dan Houser and Sam Houser, produced by Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises, 21 Laps Entertainment, Rockstar Games Entertainment and co-produced by Paramount Pictures and released by 20th Century Fox. It is produced by Shawn Levy, Sam Houser and co-produced by Navid Khonsari based on a screenplay by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. It stars Lanette Ware, Mark Blum, John Randolph Jones, Juan Hernandez, and more.

It is based off of the Smuggler's Run trilogy, consisting of Smuggler's Run (2000), Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory (2001) and Smuggler's Run: Warzones (2002), based on a story by Dan Houser, Navid Khonsari and Robert Bacon. The idea was first conceived by Jerry Bruckheimer, though Dan and Sam Houser turned it down. 20th Century Fox eventually approached the two and agreed on a film.

Smuggler's Run: The Movie was released in Australia and the United Kingdom on July 13, 2004 and was later released in the United States on August 13, 2004 by 20th Century Fox, and internationally on August 16, 2004 by Paramount Pictures. It received mixed reviews, with critics praising its cast (particularly Ware, Blum and Jones), visual effects and musical score by Hans Zimmer, though criticized its plot, runtime, humor and source material. It was a box office success, grossing $338.6 million on a budget of $106 million.

Plot
TBA

Cast

 * Lanette Ware as Radio Girl
 * Mark Blun as Gordon Temple
 * John Randolph Jones as Frank O'Grady
 * Juan Hernandez as Pedo
 * Socorro Santiago as Conchita Gonzalez
 * Simon Jutras as Pierre
 * Don Stitt as Brandon
 * Jay Keating as Smith
 * Shea Whigham as Jon
 * Rodd Houston as Colin

Development
The development on a film adaptation to the Smuggler's Run franchise first began in April 2001. Jerry Bruckheimer first approached Dan Houser and Sam Houser, the co-founders of Rockstar Games, on a film adaptation. The idea was turned down by the Housers. The idea would go unbothered for another 4 months, until August 2001.

The idea was later approached by 20th Century Fox in August 2001, who had provided a convincing demo montage for a film. After a thorough investigation, Dan and Sam Houser agreed to make a film on the franchise. Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger were hired to write the screenplay of the film, while Sam Houser served as director with Dan Houser, and as producer with Shawn Levy and Navid Khonsari. The screenwriting process spanned from September 19, 2001 and wrapped up on June 12, 2002.

Filming
Principal photography began in the Capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, certain parts of Russia, including the capital, Moscow, as well as in Vietnam, and in other countries in Eastern Europe. Production in Russia was funded by the Russian Government, including the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, totaling an additional $10 million to the production budget, which was $45 million at the time. Additional production in Georgia was funded by the Georgian Government, which added an additional $6 million, now totaling it to $51 million.

Vietnamese production was completed around December 18, 2003. Funding provided by the Vietnamese Government totaled up to $12 million, now making the budget $63 million at the time. Funding provided by other Eastern European countries totaled up to $18 million, which now made the budget be $81 million.

Prop building
The props, cars, helicopters and weapons were designed and exclusively provided by the Ford Motor Company. Each car designed, being a Super Buggy, D-5 Hondo, ATV Monster, Special Du Monde, Baja Truck, Sahara Special, Grenadier, Kavostov and Hover Sled were built and manufactured at Ford Motor Company, Yamaha Motor Company, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Sikorsky Helicopters provided helicopters and the team heavily modified them for the film's use. The cost of the designing and manufacturing totaled up to $25 million, which was added to the film's production budget, now being around $106 million.

Visual effects
The visual effects were provided by Rhythm & Hues Studios and Weta Digital.

Release
Smuggler's Run: The Movie was first released in Australia and the United Kingdom on July 11, 2004, and was later theatrically released on August 13, 2004 in the United States by 20th Century Fox, and was later released internationally on August 16, 2004 by Paramount Pictures. The film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for violence, some language, blood, drug and alcohol use, and peril.

Box office
Smuggler's Run: The Movie was theatrically released on August 13, 2004 by 20th Century Fox and on August 16, 2004 internationally by Paramount Pictures. It grossed $171.3 million domestically and $167.4 million overseas for a worldwide total of $338.6 million on a budget of $106 million.

Critical response
Smuggler's Run: The Movie received mixed reviews upon release, with 58% of 192 critics reviews being positive, as reported by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6.10/10. Its critical consensus reads; "It may be amusing for fans of the game franchise, but Smuggler's Run: The Movie provides some good action sequences, but overall is a snorefest some should definitely pass on." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore assigned the film an average grade "A-" on a scale of A+ to F.

Trivia

 * 1) It is the first and only Smuggler's Run film.
 * 2) It is the first feature film produced by Rockstar Games' entertainment division, Rockstar Games Entertainment.
 * 3) It is the first Rockstar Games film to be released by 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures.
 * 4) It is the first Rockstar Games game franchise to be adapted into film.
 * 5) It is the first and only Rockstar Games film to be produced by 21 Laps Entertainment founder Shawn Levy.
 * 6) It is Dan Houser and Sam Houser's first film in their directorial debut.