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Escape Room: Tournament of Champions

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Escape Room: Tournament of Champions
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAdam Robitel
Screenplay by
  • Will Honley
  • Maria Melnik
  • Daniel Tuch
  • Oren Uziel
Story by
  • Christine Lavaf
  • Fritz Bohm
Based onCharacters
by Bragi F. Schut
Produced byNeal H. Moritz
Starring
CinematographyMarc Spicer
Edited by
  • Steven Mirkovich
  • Peter Pav
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release dates
  • July 1, 2021 (2021-07-01) (Australia)
  • July 16, 2021 (2021-07-16) (United States)
  • October 7, 2021 (2021-10-07) (International)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million[1]
Box office$24.7 million[2][3]

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is a 2021 American psychological horror film directed by Adam Robitel and written by Will Honley, Maria Melnik, Daniel Tuch, and Oren Uziel. A sequel to 2019's Escape Room, it stars Taylor Russell and Logan Miller reprising their roles from the first film, alongside new cast members Indya Moore, Holland Roden, Thomas Cocquerel, and Carlito Olivero, and follows a group of six people trying to survive a new series of more deadly escape rooms.

After the first film became a surprise hit in 2019, Columbia Pictures approved a sequel. Robitel returned as the director with Schut writing the script, and Russell and Miller reprising their roles alongside the addition of new cast members. Filming took place on Cape Town, South Africa, from August to September 2019.

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions was theatrically released in Australia on July 1, 2021, and in the United States on July 16, by Sony Pictures Releasing, following several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film has grossed $24 million and received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the elaborate puzzles but noted the film's failure to improve upon its predecessor.

Plot

After escaping the "sole survivor" escape rooms orchestrated by the Minos Corporation, Zoey Davis and Ben Miller decide to confront the shadowy organization after finding coordinates to its New York City–based headquarters in Minos' logo. Zoey is encouraged by her therapist to move on from her trauma and to get over her aerophobia, but she opts to drive with Ben instead of flying.

The pair find the Minos headquarters derelict and are accosted by a vagrant who steals Zoey's necklace. She and Ben give chase, being led into a subway train car and stuck inside. The train car separates from the rest of the train and is redirected to a remote station. The train seals Zoey, Ben, and other passengers Rachel, Brianna, Nathan, and Theo inside. Minos is revealed to be yet again pulling the strings and the train becomes electrified. Zoey and Ben learn that the others are survivors of previous Minos escape rooms.

The group realizes they have to collect subway tokens to escape the train as the electrification increases. Theo is killed while the others manage to escape. As the group rest, Nathan reveals his escape room group were all priests, Brianna's were all influencers, and Rachel's consisted of people who did not feel physical pain.

The survivors enter the next room, a bank with a slowly closing vault and a deadly laser security system. Deciphering a complex route to get around the lasers, Nathan suffers a crisis of faith and knocks himself unconscious, activating the lasers. The group manages to figure out the route and escape with Nathan. While in the room, Zoey is perplexed by frequent references to someone called Sonya and the fact the escape rooms have no apparent connection to the group.

The next room is a beach complete with a shack, lighthouse, and more references to Sonya. As the group starts to figure out the puzzle, they discover the beach is covered in quicksand. Nathan sacrifices himself to save Rachel and is swallowed up by the sand. As Zoey figures out the room's puzzle, she finds an alternate route out of the escape room just as Brianna unlocks the intended exit to the room. An argument between the group breaks out; Rachel and Ben side with Zoey. Brianna escapes through the main exit while Rachel and Ben traverse the quicksand to the alternate route. Ben sinks beneath the quicksand and is seemingly killed.

Zoey and Rachel mourn the others and vow to take Minos down. They make their way out through a manhole into the city, but quickly realize they are still in the game when they encounter a panicked Brianna who tells them that acid is periodically being sprayed into the room. The group figures out the room's puzzle and open a taxi to escape into but once Zoey enters, the taxi locks Rachel and Brianna out. Zoey falls into the next room while Rachel and Brianna succumb to the rain.

The next room is a child's bedroom containing a diary from Sonya, revealing the rooms are based on a fun day out she had with her mother. Zoey discovers Sonya's mother is Amanda Harper, who survived her fall in Zoey and Ben's original escape room encounter and was forced into making rooms for Minos after they abducted her daughter.

Amanda appears in the room and begs Zoey to become the next puzzle maker for Minos. Ben also appears in the room, trapped in a cage. When Zoey refuses Minos' demand, Ben's cage starts rapidly filling with water, but Zoey and Amanda work together to free Ben. They start a fire in the escape room and manage to break out, fleeing the facility.

The trio report their findings to the police, who retrieve the bodies of Rachel, Brianna, Nathan, and Theo; the news about Minos goes public. An FBI agent assures Zoey that Minos will be tracked down thanks to Amanda's testimony.

Filled with confidence, Zoey decides to take a plane home with Ben. Onboard, Zoey realizes that the plane is another escape room set up by Minos. The unseen Gamemaster mocks the pair for falling into their latest trap as the plane begins to fall and sleeping gas fills the cabin.

Cast

Taylor Russell, one of the leads of the film

Additionally, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine, Nik Dodani, and Yorick van Wageningen appear in flashbacks as Jason Walker, Mike Nolan, Danny Khan, and Games Master WooTan Yu, through archive footage of the first film.

Production

Development

In February 2019, a sequel to Escape Room was announced as being in active development, with Adam Robitel set to return to direct along with screenwriter Bragi F. Schut and producer Neal H. Moritz.[7]

In April 2019, Robitel stated in an interview with Bloody Disgusting that one of the challenges the production team faced in its development was to figure out how to design new escape rooms that would outdo those the original film featured. He said:

We did fire, gravity, ice, cold, gas so we need to outdo ourselves now. We're in the box. I can't draw and quarter somebody, so what are those visual ticking clocks? We have some really cool stuff we're developing and hopefully the audience will think that way too, but it's tougher.[8]

He continued, "We're knee deep in developing the sequel. We're exploring various ideas with how it all plays out."[9]

He intended the first film's final scene, which depicted an escape room disguised as a hijacked airplane, to suggest that Minos, the organization behind the deadly escape rooms, may be more powerful, sinister and given to surveilling than previously thought, which he planned to expand upon in the sequel.[10] He said:

I think the implication is that Minos is far more widespread in the halls of power in our society than we realize. [. . .] I think we're in a time of real paranoia, whether it's institutions or police state. We've never been in a time of such divisiveness as a culture, so we always love the idea.[11]

The film's official title, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, was announced in a press conference on May 20, 2021.[12]

Casting

In October 2019, Collider reported that Isabelle Fuhrman had joined the cast, alongside returning cast members Taylor Russell and Logan Miller, although Fuhrman ultimately did not appear in the film.[4] Later that month, Holland Roden, Thomas Cocquerel, Indya Moore, and Carlito Olivero also joined the cast.[5]

Release

Theatrical

The film was originally scheduled to be released on April 17, 2020.[13] Its release date was subsequently changed several times,[14] and in May 2020, it was scheduled to be released on January 1, 2021.[15] In October 2020, Sony moved the film to sometime later in 2021.[16] In January 2021, it was announced that the film's release date would be pushed back again, to January 7, 2022.[17] The film was later moved up to July 16, 2021.[18] The film was first released in Australia on July 1, 2021.[19]

When asked about whether the film would also be available to stream at the same time it was released to theaters to accommodate those uncertain of the safety of in-theater attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Robitel stated that the film will pursue a standard theatrical release with no streaming alternative because he believes that the darkness of the standard theater room would allow the film to be at its most frightening and thrilling.[20]

Reception

Box office

As of July 25, 2021, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions has grossed $16 million in the United States and Canada, and $8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $24 million.[2][3]

In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Space Jam: A New Legacy, and was projected to gross $7–10 million from 2,775 theaters in its opening weekend.[1][21] The film made $3.8 million on its first day, including $1.2 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $8.8 million, finishing third at the box office.[22]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 47 percent based on 64 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions may appeal to fans of the original who've been hoping for a sequel, but its increasingly convoluted rules add up to a very unpleasant game night."[23] According to Metacritic, which assigned a weighted average score of 48 out of 100 based on 16 critics, the film received "mixed or average reviews."[24] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, the same as the first film, while PostTrak reported 69 percent of audience members gave it a positive score, with 44 percent saying they would definitely recommend it.[22]

William Bibbiani of the TheWrap wrote: "Make no mistake: Escape Room: Tournament of Champions may be fun, it's also incredibly stupid. The premise makes no sense. The mechanics make no sense. The plot makes no sense. Look elsewhere for storytelling sanity. Look here if you want to see confident, creepy absurdity, with a ghoulish imagination and showmanship to spare."[25]

Jesse Hassenger of The A.V. Club gave the film a "C+", writing: "After 30 or 40 minutes, it becomes clear that, despite a few more callbacks, this is a more-of-the-same sequel, not a next-level sequel."[26] From The Hollywood Reporter, John DeFore called the film an "underwhelming attempt to turn a tight little thriller into a sequel-spawning franchise" and said: "Tournament provides genre buffs with a lesson in diminishing returns, and may leave most of them impatient for an unambiguous 'Game Over.'"[27]

References

  1. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 13, 2021). "Black Widow Posts Best Non-Holiday Monday During Pandemic At Domestic Box Office; Second Weekend Eyed At $24M+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Sneider, Jeff (October 3, 2019). "Exclusive: Isabelle Fuhrman Joins Taylor Russell, Logan Miller in Escape Room 2". Collider. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e N'Duka, Amanda (October 18, 2019). "Escape Room 2: Sony Sets Lead Cast for Sequel". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Lambros, Stephen (May 26, 2021). "There's No Way Out Of The Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions Trailer". GameRant. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  7. ^ Topel, Fred (April 19, 2019). "Escape Room Director Talks Sequel Rooms, Mythology and Returning Stars". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Topel, Fred (April 19, 2019). "Escape Room Director Talks Sequel Rooms, Mythology and Returning Stars". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Topel, Fred (April 19, 2019). "Escape Room Director Talks Sequel Rooms, Mythology and Returning Stars". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Topel, Fred (April 19, 2019). "Escape Room Director Talks Sequel Rooms, Mythology and Returning Stars". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Topel, Fred (April 19, 2019). "Escape Room Director Talks Sequel Rooms, Mythology and Returning Stars". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  12. ^ Mendelson, Scott (May 20, 2021). "Box Office: Can The Multiplex Survive With A 45-Day Theatrical Window?". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  13. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 25, 2019). "Escape Room 2 Construction Underway At Sony For 2020 Bow – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  14. ^ Pearson, Ben (March 2, 2020). "Paramount Feels the Need For Speed and Moves Up 'Top Gun: Maverick' Release Date; Escape Room 2 Delayed Until December". /Film. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  15. ^ Kennedy, Michael (April 25, 2020). "Everything We Know So Far About Escape Room 2". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  16. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy; D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 5, 2020). "Monster Hunter Officially Dated Stateside For December; Escape Room 2 Flees To 2021 – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 26, 2021). "Escape Room 2 To Open Doors In Early 2022". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 26, 2021). "Sony Moves Up Escape Room 2 To Summer, Lands On Same Date As Studio's Cinderella". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  19. ^ "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions". Flicks.com.au. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  20. ^ O'Connell, Sean (May 24, 2021). "Escape Room 2 Reveals New Title, Official Plot And Exclusive First-Look Images". CinemaBlend. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  21. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (July 14, 2021). "Space Jam: A New Legacy Takes on Black Widow at the Box Office". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  22. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 18, 2021). "'Space Jam: A New Legacy' Steals Ball Away From 'Black Widow' With $31M+ Opening, Best For Family Pic & WB During Pandemic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  23. ^ "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  24. ^ "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  25. ^ Bibbiani, William (July 14, 2021). "Escape Room 2 Review: Exciting, Illogical Sequel Sets New Elaborate Traps". TheWrap. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  26. ^ "Tournament Of Champions fails to take Escape Room to the next level". The A.V. Club. July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  27. ^ Rooney, David (July 14, 2021). "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
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