All 6 ‘Death Race’ Movies in Order (& How They’re Connected)

The original ‘Death Race 2000’ is a 1975 sci-fi action film set in a dystopian America in the year 2000. It features a deadly cross-country race called the Transcontinental Road Race, which serves as a form of national entertainment. The movie, directed by Paul Bartel and produced by Roger Corman, stars David Carradine. The storyline is adapted from Ib Melchior’s short story ‘The Racer.’ Even though the movie received generally mixed reviews, it was good enough that it received a sequel more than four decades later and spawned an entire franchise or remakes. Today ‘Death Race’ franchise has six installments in total, and today we’re going to tell you how to watch them in order.

Editor’s Note: This watch order was updated in November 2023.

All 6 ‘Death Race’ movies in release date order

The original movie is from 1975, and it got a sequel in 2017; the movies released between 2008 and 2018 are generally considered to be a franchise based on the remake. Here are all the ‘Death Race’ movies in their release date order:

1. ‘Death Race 2000’ (1975)
2. ‘Death Race’ (2008)
3. ‘Death Race 2’ (2010)
4. ‘Death Race 3: Inferno’ (2013)
5. ‘Death Race 2050’ (2017)
6. ‘Death Race: Beyond Anarchy’ (2018)

Are all ‘Death Race’ movies connected? What’s the best order to watch them in?

All ‘Death Race’ movies are not directly connected in terms of a continuous storyline. The films share the theme of deadly races, but each entry often presents a different take on the concept. The original ‘Death Race 2000’ from 1975 and its sequel ‘Death Race 2050’ from 2017 are connected, as the latter is considered a kind of a reboot or homage to the former.

However, other movies in the series, such as ‘Death Race’ released in 2008, and its sequels, including ‘Death Race: Inferno’ (2013) and ‘Death Race: Beyond Anarchy’ (2018), form a separate continuity. These films focus on a brutal prison competition known as Death Race. The best way to watch the movies is in chronological order based on two separate continuities.

All ‘Death Race’ movies in chronological order

Director of ‘Death Race’ (2008) Paul W. S. Anderson once stated that he views the movie more as a prequel to the original movie rather than a remake, but we won’t use that logic when forming our chronological order instead, we will focus on continuities and timeline within the movies. Here’s the chronological order of ‘Death Race’ franchise:

Original timeline:

1. ‘Death Race 2000’ (1975)
2. ‘Death Race 2050’ (2017)

Remake timeline

1. ‘Death Race 2’ (2010)
2. ‘Death Race 3: Inferno’ (2013)
3. ‘Death Race’ (2008)
4. ‘Death Race: Beyond Anarchy’ (2018)

Original timeline – ‘Death Race 2000’ and ‘Death Race 2050’

After the “World Crash of ’79” led to civil unrest and economic collapse, the U.S. government transformed into a totalitarian regime, instituting martial law. To appease the population, they establish the violent Transcontinental Road Race in which drivers, adopting wrestling-style personas, compete for national entertainment, earning points for causing mayhem.

In the 20th annual race in the year 2000, drivers like Frankenstein, a mysterious champion, and Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, a Chicago gangster, vie for victory, with Viterbo determined to defeat Frankenstein and claim the top spot.

The second movie takes place 50 years after the original movie. In the dystopian world of 2050, where the human race faces its final years, the United Corporations of America grapples with overpopulation and a staggering unemployment rate. The Death Race emerged as a form of entertainment and population control, spanning from Old New York to New Los Angeles.

Remake timeline – ‘Death Race 2,’ ‘Death Race 3: Inferno,’ ‘Death Race’ and ‘Death Race: Beyond Anarchy’

When it comes to the remake timeline, the first movie in the continuity is actually ‘Death Race 2.’

Getaway driver Carl “Luke” Lucas tries to abort a bank robbery for crime boss Markus Kane when officers unexpectedly enter, leading to a deadly confrontation. In fulfilling Markus’s orders, Luke kills an officer and abandons his accomplices. Captured after a chase, he is sentenced to prison and later transferred to Terminal Island six months later.

‘Death Race 3: Inferno is set between the events of ‘Death Race 2’ and ‘Death Race.’ In 2020, Death Race owner R. H. Weyland sold the rights to British billionaire Niles York, who plans to relocate the race to South Africa. Weyland arranges for Carl Lucas, aka Frankenstein, to have his disfigured face fixed before leaving. With Lucas just one win away from freedom, York, fearing the loss of the Frankenstein fanbase, threatens to kill Lucas if he wins.

‘Death Race’ is set after the events of the ‘Death Race’ even though it also takes place in year 2020. The last movie in the timeline is also the latest movie released in 2018, ‘Beyond Anarchy,’ and it directly followed the events of the first remake. In a massive privatized prison called the Sprawl, the Death Race competition becomes illegal under the new warden hired by Weyland International, tasked with eliminating the champion, Frankenstein. After a SWAT team’s failed attempt to take out Frankenstein, he vows to kill anyone sent by the warden. Meanwhile, new prisoners arrive, facing violence from the prison gang “the Cops,” with two survivors skillfully defeating the gang and refusing to surrender their coins.

Where to watch the above-mentioned movies?

The original ‘Death Race 2000’ can be streamed on Tubi, Popcornflix, Plex, Freevee, and Cultpix. ‘Death Race’ and ‘Death Race 2050’ can only be rented on Apple TV, Amazon and YouTube.

‘Death Race 2,’ ‘Death Race 3: Inferno’ and ‘Death Race: Beyond Anarchy’ can be streamed on Starz.

Will there be more ‘Death Race’ movies?

As of 2023, there are no new regarding the continuation of the franchise; based on mixed review, it’s highly unlikely that someone will continue the franchise, perhaps through another remake. In any case, we will update this as soon as we have more information.

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