Doom

Doom is a science-fiction horror action film released in 2005 and based on the video-game series created by id Software. The film was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak and stars Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Dwayne Johnson, Raz Adoti, Richard Brake, and Ben Daniels. It was produced as an international co-production involving the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Germany, with Universal Pictures serving as the principal studio and distributor. Rather than reproduce the games' demons directly, the adaptation reframed much of their mythology as a biological and genetic disaster caused by experiments involving an artificial Martian chromosome pair. The story begins with the discovery of the Ark, a wormhole linking Earth and Mars. Years after the portal's discovery, a research facility operated by Union Aerospace Corporation sends a distress signal after its personnel are attacked. A Rapid Response Tactical Squad is dispatched to investigate, secure the installation, and recover research data. The mission exposes an outbreak created by experiments on human subjects using genetic material recovered from an ancient Martian civilization. Some infected people transform into violent creatures, while others develop enhanced abilities without losing their humanity. The central conflict follows marine John Grimm, known as Reaper, his scientist twin sister Samantha, and squad leader Sarge as they attempt to contain the outbreak and escape the facility. Development of a live-action Doom film had been discussed in Hollywood since the success of Doom II in the mid-1990s. Earlier attempts stalled amid changing rights arrangements, script problems, a shortage of suitable producers, and concerns connected with the cultural controversy surrounding violent entertainment. Producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and John Wells later advanced the project, first at Warner Bros. and then at Universal. David Callaham supplied an early screenplay influenced by Doom 3, while Wesley Strick subsequently worked on the dialogue and script. Enda McCallion was initially attached to direct, but left the project; Bartkowiak then became director. Principal photography took place at Barrandov Studios in Prague. The production emphasized practical creature work and military preparation. Stan Winston Studios created the monsters and creature effects, while Framestore and Double Negative handled different parts of the visual-effects workload. The cast playing the tactical squad underwent military training. One of the film's most distinctive sequences is an extended first-person-shooter-style action passage that deliberately imitates the perspective and movement of the games. Clint Mansell composed the score, and a remix of a Nine Inch Nails song was used during the end credits. Doom opened theatrically in the United States and Canada on October 21, 2005. It reached number one during its opening weekend but received broadly unfavorable critical reviews. Critics frequently acknowledged the visual homage to the games, particularly the first-person sequence, while objecting to the screenplay, characterization, dialogue, and limited use of recognizable demonic imagery. The film earned approximately $58.7 million worldwide against a reported production budget of roughly $60–70 million, making it a commercial disappointment. It later received home-video releases in multiple formats, including DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray, and eventually 4K Blu-ray. Universal released a separate direct-to-video follow-up, Doom: Annihilation, in 2019, with a different cast and story.

The film adaptation of Doom emerged from Hollywood interest in the video-game property during the mid-1990s, following the success of Doom II. Universal Pictures initially acquired adaptation rights, which later moved to Columbia TriStar. Development remained stalled for years because of changing creative teams, weak scripts, difficulty assembling a production package, and wider concerns about the commercial and cultural risks of violent video-game adaptations. id Software's presentation of Doom 3 helped renew industry interest, after which producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and John Wells secured the project. The producers initially developed the film at Warner Bros., but transferred it to Universal after Warner Bros. did not put the project into production during the agreed period. The arrangement provided the game's developer and rights holder with participation in the film's revenues. David Callaham wrote an early screenplay that borrowed elements from Doom 3 and included more game-specific monsters, but several creatures and concepts were removed because of time and budget constraints. Enda McCallion was first appointed director. After he departed in 2004, Andrzej Bartkowiak took over, while Wesley Strick revised the dialogue and screenplay. Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg were approached about dialogue work but did not participate. Casting developed during 2004. Vin Diesel was offered a leading role but declined. Dwayne Johnson was offered John Grimm but chose to play the darker squad commander Sarge instead. Karl Urban and Rosamund Pike were cast as the siblings John Grimm and Samantha Grimm. The tactical-squad actors completed two weeks of military preparation with adviser Tom McAdams. Filming was conducted primarily at Barrandov Studios in Prague, where the production constructed and photographed the industrial research environments that dominate the story. Creature work was led by Stan Winston Studios under John Rosengrant. The effects department used practical suits, prosthetics, body casts, and visual effects to create the mutated personnel and other monsters. Jon Farhat supervised visual effects. Framestore concentrated on character animation and creature work, while Double Negative contributed environments, dimensional effects, and futuristic weapons. A major creative set piece was the first-person-shooter sequence, designed to reproduce the viewpoint and rhythm of the games. It required extensive planning and fourteen days of filming, using concealed cuts, camera handoffs, green-screen transitions, and other visual joins to create the impression of one continuous perspective. Clint Mansell composed the score. The film also used a remix of Nine Inch Nails' “You Know What You Are?” during the end credits, while Celldweller's “Switchback” appeared in promotional trailers. Doom was released theatrically in North America on October 21, 2005. Its opening weekend produced approximately $15.5 million from more than 3,000 theaters and placed it first at the domestic box office. International markets contributed additional revenue, but the worldwide total remained below the reported production budget range. The critical response was predominantly negative. Reviewers often viewed the first-person sequence as the clearest expression of the source game's identity, but considered the rest of the film derivative or underwritten. Rotten Tomatoes recorded an 18 percent approval rating from 137 reviews, while Metacritic reported a score of 34 from 28 critics. Audience polling produced a CinemaScore of B-minus. The film received a Golden Raspberry nomination for Dwayne Johnson's performance and was later included by Time in a list of notable poor video-game adaptations. Home-video distribution began in 2006, with releases on VHS, UMD, DVD, and later HD DVD. The unrated extended cut was also issued on Blu-ray in 2009 and on 4K Blu-ray in 2022. Although the 2005 film did not generate a conventional theatrical franchise, Universal announced another Doom project in 2018. Doom: Annihilation was released direct to video in 2019 with a separate cast and premise.

• 2022

  4K Blu-ray release

  [1]Doom (film)en.wikipedia.org

  The extended cut received a 4K Blu-ray release.

• 2019

  Doom: Annihilation released

  [1]Doom (film)en.wikipedia.org

  Universal released a separate live-action Doom film directly to video.

• 2006

  Initial home-video releases

  [1]Doom (film)en.wikipedia.org

  The film reached VHS, UMD, and DVD in February 2006, with later high-definition editions following.

• 2005

  Theatrical release

  [1]Doom (film)en.wikipedia.org

  Doom was released theatrically in the United States and Canada on October 21, 2005.

• 2004

  Bartkowiak becomes director

  [1]Doom (film)en.wikipedia.org

  After Enda McCallion left the project, Andrzej Bartkowiak joined as director. Karl Urban and Rosamund Pike were subsequently cast as the central siblings.

• 1994

  Early Hollywood interest

  [1]Doom (film)en.wikipedia.org

  Hollywood interest in a live-action Doom adaptation developed during the period following the success of Doom II.

A studio-produced science-fiction horror adaptation of a prominent first-person-shooter video-game property, positioned around military action, extraterrestrial research, mutation horror, and recognizable game-inspired imagery.

• Feature film · 2005

  Doom

  The 2005 theatrical science-fiction horror film follows a marine squad sent through a wormhole to a Mars research facility after a genetic experiment produces a violent outbreak. It combines military action, mutation horror, biotechnology themes, and visual references to the original first-person-shooter games. Its most explicit game homage is a prolonged first-person action sequence.

• Home-video edition · 2006

  Doom extended cut

  The unrated extended version expands the film to approximately 113 minutes. It was distributed through DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray, and later 4K Blu-ray editions. The cited home-video releases featured the extended version rather than offering the theatrical cut as an alternate option.

• Related direct-to-video film · 2019

  Doom: Annihilation

  A separate live-action Doom production released by Universal in 2019. It followed the studio's renewed plans for a new film but was not a continuation of the 2005 movie's principal story and cast.

• 2018

  Universal announces a new Doom filmProduct launch

  Background

  The 2005 film's commercial and critical performance had not produced a conventional theatrical sequel.

  Action taken

  Universal announced plans for a new Doom film, later realized as Doom: Annihilation.

  Aftermath

  The new production was released directly to video in 2019 with a different cast and story.

  Source

• 2005

  Theatrical launch of DoomProduct launch

  Background

  The adaptation was completed after years of rights and screenplay development.

  Action taken

  Universal released Doom theatrically in the United States and Canada on October 21, 2005, followed by international releases.

  Aftermath

  The film opened at number one domestically but received poor reviews and ended its theatrical run below its reported production cost.

  Worldwide box-office gross. $58.7 million (2005 theatrical run)

  Source

• 2004

  Project moves from Warner Bros. to UniversalStrategy

  Background

  Warner Bros. had developed the project but did not advance it into production during the relevant development period.

  Action taken

  Producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and John Wells moved the film's development to Universal Pictures.

  Aftermath

  Universal produced and distributed the 2005 theatrical adaptation.

  Source

1. 1Doom (film)en.wikipedia.org