February 20, 1982
Death Wish II is a 1982 American vigilante action film directed and co-edited by Michael Winner. It is the first of four sequels to the 1974 film Death Wish. It is the second installment in the Death Wish film series. In the story, architect Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) moves to Los Angeles with his daughter (Robin Sherwood). After his daughter is murdered at the hands of several gang members, Kersey once again chooses to become a vigilante. Unlike the original, in which he hunts down every criminal he encounters, Kersey only pursues his family's attackers. The sequel makes a complete breakaway from the Brian Garfield novels Death Wish and Death Sentence, redefining the Paul Kersey character. It was succeeded by Death Wish 3.
The sequel was produced by Cannon Films, which had purchased the rights to the Death Wish concept from Dino De Laurentiis. Cannon executive Menahem Golan planned to direct the film, but Winner returned on Bronson's insistence. The soundtrack was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page. Death Wish II was released in the United States in February 1982 by Filmways Pictures, but like the original, Columbia Pictures handled the international release and Paramount Pictures, via Trifecta Entertainment & Media, handles the television rights. It earned $16.1 million during its domestic theatrical run. Death Wish II was released in the United States on February 19, 1982 and released in the United Kingdom on February 11, 1982 and released in Egypt on January 10, 1983.
Storyline
Also See
- Death Wish (1974)
- Death Wish 3 (1985)
- Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)
- Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994)
- Death Wish (2018)