What is Welcome to Sudden Death? Is it a sequel to the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie?
Everything you need to know about the new action film coming to DVD and VOD.
Delayed sequels have become an increasingly common part of the film landscape in recent years, with several hit movies from years gone by having seen follow-ups more than 20 years after their original release.
One such sequel is the Michael Jai White action vehicle Welcome to Sudden Death, set to be released on DVD and VOD this week - here's everything you need to know about the film, and how it is linked to a 1995 action classic.
How to watch Welcome to Sudden Death
Welcome to Sudden Death is currently available on Netflix in the US, and is also available to rent (for $5.99) or buy ($19.99) from Amazon Prime Video if you're Stateside.
The film's availability is more limited in the UK – it's not currently streaming on Netflix UK and while you can purchase the film on DVD, it'll be in Region 1 format, so you'll need to make sure you have a MultiRegion DVD player.
Buy Welcome to Sudden Death on DVD now.
Welcome to Sudden Death trailer
You can watch a trailer for the film below, which offers a glimpse at the high stakes mission undertaken by White's protagonist.
Is Welcome to Sudden Death a sequel to Sudden Death?
It is, technically - the film is a follow up to the 1995 movie Sudden Death which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme as a former firefighter now working as a fire inspector and security guard.
However it has been said that the sequel, in which Van Damme is not due to make an appearance, will take a more comedic approach to the material - and it appears to effectively function as more of a remake than a true sequel.
What happened in Sudden Death?
The 1995 action thriller centred on a plot by a group of terrorists to seize control of an ice-hockey stadium in the middle of a match - with the US vice president in attendance.
Taking the politician hostage, they threaten to blow up the building at the final whistle - and it falls to Van Damme's former fireman to thwart their plot.
What is Welcome to Sudden Death about?
The official plot synopsis sounds very similar to the first film - although ice hockey is replaced by basketball as the sport in question.
Still, once again it follows a security guard who battles a group of terrorists after they take hostages inside a sporting arena, so we're certainly in familiar territory.
Who is in the cast of Welcome to Sudden Death?
The main cast for the new film includes Black Dynamite star Michael Jai White and Bates Motel star Michael Eklund, as well as Gillian White, Paul Essiembre, Gary Owen and Anthony Grant.
Welcome to Sudden Death is available now DVD and digital. If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
