Escape Room (film series)
A series about deadly escape rooms and survival.
Escape Room is an American psychological horror survival film series that began with the 2019 film directed by Adam Robitel. The series follows groups of people forced to navigate deadly escape rooms designed by the mysterious Minos corporation, with wealthy viewers betting on the outcomes. The first film grossed over $155 million worldwide and was followed by a sequel in 2021.
- first_film_release
- January 4, 2019
- director
- Adam Robitel
- screenwriters
- Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik
- production_budget
- $9 million
- worldwide_gross
- $155.7 million
- number_of_films
- 2
- sequel_release
- 2021
Lore & Background
The series began with the 2019 film Escape Room, directed by Adam Robitel from a screenplay by Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik. Development started in August 2017 under the title The Maze. Filming took place in South Africa from late 2017 through January 2018. The film was released in the United States on January 4, 2019, by Columbia Pictures. It grossed $155.7 million worldwide against a $9 million budget. The sequel, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, was announced in February 2019 and released on July 16, 2021, with Robitel returning to direct and original cast members Taylor Russell and Logan Miller reprising their roles.
Reader's Guide
The Escape Room film series is significant for its blend of psychological horror and puzzle-based survival, drawing comparisons to the Saw franchise but with a focus on elaborate escape rooms. The first film received mixed reviews, with critics praising its atmosphere, cast, and production design while criticizing its familiar plot. The series established a mythology around the Minos corporation and its wealthy viewers who bet on the outcomes. The sequel continued the story of survivors Zoey and Ben as they confronted the organization. The series' commercial success, particularly its strong box office return on a modest budget, demonstrated the viability of horror-thriller franchises built around game-like premises. The films also sparked discussions about the ethics of reality-based entertainment and trauma exploitation.
Did You Know?
- The film was originally titled The Maze during development.
- The film's release in Poland was indefinitely postponed after an escape room fire killed five teenagers on the day of the U.S. release.
- Director Adam Robitel appears in a minor role as a character named Gabe.
- The sequel Escape Room: Tournament of Champions was released on July 16, 2021.
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