Shaft (franchise)

Film series

Shaft

Created by| Ernest Tidyman
Original work| Shaft (1970)
Owners| Warner Bros. Entertainment
(via New Line Cinema & Turner Entertainment Co.)
(except for the 2000 film owned by Paramount Pictures)
Years| 1970-present
Print publications
Novel(s)| Shaft (1970)
Shaft Among the Jews (1972)
Shaft's Big Score (1972)
Shaft Has a Ball (1973)
Goodbye, Mr. Shaft (1973)
Shaft's Carnival of Killers (1974)
The Last Shaft (1975) - published only in England[1]
Shaft's Revenge (2016)[2][3] (written by David F. Walker)
Films and television
Film(s)| Shaft (1971)
Shaft's Big Score! (1972)
Shaft in Africa (1973)
Shaft (2000)
Shaft (2019)
Television series| Shaft (1973-74)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)| Shaft (1971)
Shaft in Africa (1973)
Shaft (2000)

This article is missing information about the John Shaft novels. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (March 2025)

|

The Shaft franchise[4] consists of five action-crime feature films and seven television films, centered on a family of African-American police detectives who all share the name John Shaft. The first three features may be described as blaxploitation films, the television film series is a mystery, and the fourth feature installment is a crime thriller. By contrast the fifth film installment, released to Netflix, is a satirical buddy-cop comedy.[5]

## Film

[edit]

### Shaft (1971)

[edit]

Main article: Shaft (1971 film)

John Shaft is a classy and suave African-American detective. He successfully fights local crime, including the leader of the black crime mob named Bumpy, his gang, and black nationals. The conflicting characters have to put aside their differences when they must defeat the white mafia, who kidnapped Bumpy's daughter in attempts to blackmail him.

### Shaft's Big Score! (1972)

[edit]

Main article: Shaft's Big Score!

When John Shaft finds out that a dead friend ran an illegal money laundering scheme out of the former's legitimate business and left $200,000 unaccounted for, he discovers the reason why he had suddenly found himself in the middle of a war between rival gangs. The thugs begin a war of taking over the territory that belonged to the deceased, as well as to get their hands on the missing two hundred grand. Shaft has all he can handle trying to track down the money and, at the same time, keep his friend's sister from the clutches of these dangerous groups.

### Shaft in Africa (1973)

[edit]

Main article: Shaft in Africa

John Shaft is persuaded to take on the faux identity of a native-speaking worker in Africa by threats of violence, the enticings of money, and the lure of a potential love interest in his tutor. While undercover he must help in completing a coup on a business that is smuggling immigrants into Europe, and then exploiting them. The villains, unfortunately for him, know he is coming.

### Shaft (2000)

[edit]

Main article: Shaft (2000 film)

New York City Police Detective John Shaft II, son of the 1970s cop,[a] is the lead detective on a sensitive case when a young African-American is viciously beaten to death. After learning there was an eye-witness and upon further investigation, the man's friends lead Shaft on the trail of a man who was known to have racial prejudice, prior to the attack. The titular character confronts him and learns that he's Walter Wade Jr., the son of a wealthy real estate tycoon. He finds evidence that the perpetrator was at the location of the crime. The suspect is released on bail because of 'excessive force' from Shaft during his arrest, and flees the country. Two years later, Wade returns to the U.S. where Shaft arrests him for evading law enforcement. After the judge grants him bail, Shaft questions the magistrate's motives and intentions. He resigns from the police force and sets out to lock Wade away permanently. At the same time Wade fears that Shaft may find the witness before he does and hires a drug lord to find and kill her.

### Shaft (2019)

[edit]

Main article: Shaft (2019 film)

John Shaft III, also known as JJ, is a cyber security expert for the FBI who seeks out a different kind of expertise from his absentee father John Shaft II (and ultimately, grandfather John Shaft I) after his best friend's untimely death.

In discussing the film, director Tim Story stated, "...We’re going to definitely make sure the stakes in the world are real, and then you’ve got these characters who are dealing with kind of a father/son situation, we’re going to see them put a family back together."[6]

Film  | U.S. release date  | Director(s)  | Story by  | Screenwriter(s)  | Producer(s)

|
|
|
|
|

Shaft | July 2, 1971 (1971-07-02) | Gordon Parks | Ernest Tidyman & John D. F. Black | Joel Freeman
Shaft's Big Score! | June 8, 1972 (1972-06-08) | Ernest Tidyman  | Roger Lewis & Ernest Tidyman
Shaft in Africa | June 14, 1973 (1973-06-14) | John Guillermin | Stirling Silliphant | Roger Lewis
Shaft | June 16, 2000 (2000-06-16) | John Singleton | Shane Salerno & John Singleton  | Shane Salerno, Richard Price & John Singleton  | Scott Rudin & John Singleton
Shaft | June 14, 2019 (2019-06-14) | Tim Story | Alex Barnow & Kenya Barris | John Davis & Kenya Barris

## Television

[edit]

Main article: Shaft (TV series)

Series  | Season  | Episodes  | First released  | Last released  | Executive producers  | Network

|
|
|
|
|
|

Shaft | 1  | 7  | October 9, 1973  | February 19, 1974  | Allan Balter & William Read Woodfield  | CBS

Following the box office failure of Shaft in Africa, the studio moved the franchise to the small screen in 1973, with a television series ordered and released to CBS network. While attempting to build crossovers with another crime-drama, Hawkins, the series never garnered much success. Each episode features a different case and a different crime for the titular character to solve. The series was cancelled after one season, due to poor ratings. Richard Roundtree, who reprised his role from the theatrical feature films, has since expressed his distaste for the show and its contrasting message of "pro-police" compared to the feature films.[7] Some episodes were later re-edited and released as television movies, including: Shaft and the Enforcers, Shaft and the Killing, Shaft and the Hit-Run, Shaft and the Kidnapping, Shaft and the Cop Killer, Shaft and the Capricorn Murders, and Shaft and the Murder Machine. The first four debuted in 1973, while the latter three released in 1974.[7]

## Main cast and characters

[edit]

The film series contains four main stars, with various key characters appearing in each individual movie. The following chart organizes the films' stars, arranged by film.

Character  | Films  | Television

|
|

Shaft | Shaft's Big Score! | Shaft in Africa | Shaft | Shaft | Shaft
1971  | 1972  | 1973  | 2000  | 2019  | 1973-1974
John Shaft | Richard Roundtree
John Shaft II  |  | Samuel L. Jackson |
John "JJ" Shaft III  |  | Jessie T. Usher

* * *

Jordan Preston CarterY |
Bumpy Jonas  | Moses Gunn |
Lt. Al Rossi  |  | Angelo Gnazzo  |  | Ed Barth
The Detective  |  | Rudy Doucette
The Hood  |  | Arnold Roberts
Laura Parks  |  | Judie Stein
The Pit Boss  |  | Nick Borgani
The Sportsman  |  | Robert Strong
Lt. Vic Androzzi  | Charles Cioffi |
Ben Buford  | Christopher St. John |
Marcy Jonas  | Sherri Brewer  |
Cal Asby  |  | Robert Kya-Hill |
Gus Mascola  |  | Joseph Mascolo |
Rita  |  | Kathy Imrie  |
Johnny Kelly  |  | Wally Taylor |
Cpt. Bollin  |  | Julius Harris |
Arna Asby  |  | Rosalind Miles |
Emir Ramila  |  | Cy Grant |
A.V. Ramila  |  | Avelio Falana  |
Col. Gondor  |  | Marne Maitland |
Son of the Ramilas  |  | A.V. Falana  |
Peoples Hernandez  |  | Jeffrey Wright |
Det. Carmen Vasquez  |  | Vanessa Williams |
Rasaan  |  | Trevor "Busta Rhymes"
Smith, Jr. |
Diane Palmieri  |  | Toni Collette |
Walter Wade, Jr.  |  | Christian Bale |
Det. Jack Roselli  |  | Dan Hedaya |
Det. Jimmy Groves  |  | Ruben Santiago-Hudson |
Carla Howard  |  | Lynne Thigpen |
Walter Wade, Sr.  |  | Philip Bosco |
Det. Luger  |  | Lee Tergesen |
Lt. Kearney  |  | Daniel von Bargen |
Lucifer Hernandez  |  | Francisco "Coqui" Taveras  |
Sasha Arias  |  | Alexandra Shipp

* * *

Nyah Marie JohnsonY |
Maya Babanikos  |  | Regina Hall |
Maj. Gary Cutworth  |  | Matt Lauria |
S.A. Vietti  |  | Titus Welliver |
Freddie P.  |  | Cliff "Method Man" Smith |
Pierro "Gordito" Carrera  |  | Isaach de Bankolé |
Karim Hassan  |  | Avan Jogia

* * *

Joey MekytenY |
Bennie Rodriguez  |  | Luna Lauren Vélez |
Dominguez Rodriguez  |  | Aaron Dominguez  |

## Additional crew and production details

[edit]

Title  | Composer(s)  | Cinematographer(s)  | Editor(s)  | Production companies  | Distributing company  | Running time

|
|
|
|
|
|

Shaft (1971) | Isaac Hayes
Johnny Allen | Urs Furrer  | Hugh A. Robertson | Shaft Productions
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  | 100 mins
Shaft's Big Score!  | Gordon Parks  | Harry Howard  | 104 mins
Shaft in Africa  | Johnny Pate | Marcel Grignon  | Max Benedict | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Shaft Productions, Ltd.  | 112 mins
Shaft
(The Series) | Michael Hugo
Keith C. Smith  | Peter Kirby
George Folsey, Jr.  | MGM Television | CBS Network | 73 mins/episode
Shaft
(2000) | David Arnold | Donald E. Thorin  | John Bloom
Antonia Van Drimmelen  | Shaft Productions
Paramount Pictures
New Deal Productions
Scott Rudin Productions
Munich Film Partners & Company  | Paramount Pictures  | 99 mins
Shaft
(2019) | Christopher Lennertz | Larry Blanford  | Conrad Buff IV | New Line Cinema
Khalab Ink Society
Davis Entertainment
Warner Bros. Pictures
Netflix Original Films
Warner Bros. Digital Networks  | Warner Bros. Pictures  | 111 mins

## Reception

[edit]

For more details on the reception of each film, see the "Reception" section on each film's article.

### Box office performance

[edit]

Film  | Release date  | Box office gross  | Box office ranking  | Budget  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

North America  | Other territories  | Worldwide  | All time
North America  | All time
worldwide
Shaft (1971) | July 2, 1971  | $12,121,618  | —  | $12,121,618  | #4,476  | #5,704  | $500,000[citation needed] | [8]
Shaft's Big Score! | June 8, 1972  | $10,000,000  | —  | $10,000,000  | #4,875  | #6,204  | $1,978,000  | [9]
Shaft in Africa | June 14, 1973  | $1,455,635  | $1,079,615  | $2,440,240[b] | —  | —  | $2,142,000  | [11][10]
Shaft (2000) | June 16, 2000  | $70,327,868  | $36,862,240  | $107,190,108  | #1,086  | #1,377  | $53,012,938  | [12]
Shaft (2019) | June 14, 2019  | $21,360,215  | —  | $21,360,215  | TBA | TBA | $30,000,000  | [13]

### Critical and public response

[edit]

Film  | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore[14][better source needed]

|
|
|

Shaft (1971) | 88% (40 reviews)[15] | 66 (10 reviews)[16] | —
Shaft's Big Score! | 68% (11 reviews)[17] | —  | —
Shaft in Africa | 56% (9 reviews)[18] | —  | —
Shaft (2000) | 67% (115 reviews)[19] | 50 (33 reviews)[20] | A-
Shaft (2019) | 31% (99 reviews)[21] | 40 (30 reviews)[22] | A

## See also

[edit]

A future descendant of John Shaft appears in the Cowboy Bebop episode "Mushroom Samba", voiced by Hōchū Ōtsuka in the 1999 Japanese version and by Beau Billingslea in the 2001 English dub. According to writer/director Quentin Tarantino, the characters Broomhilda "Hildi" von Schaft and her husband Django Freeman in his 2012 film Django Unchained were written as the progenitors to the Shaft family line and direct ancestors of John Shaft. Tarantino stated that while the film isn't an official prequel to the series, his intention was that the characters have familial ties.[23]

## Further reading

[edit]

* Aldous, Steve (2015). The World of Shaft: A Complete Guide to the Novels, Comic Strip, Films and Television Series. McFarland. ISBN 9781476622231.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The 2019 sequel retcons him into being Shaft II's biological father, the film mentioning that Shaft I had spent years pretending to be his uncle.
2. ^ Because there are no box office numbers available for Shaft in Africa, these figures are calculated off of home video rental sales.[10]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Walker, David F. (August 2020). "Fifty Years of Shaft". RetroFan (10). United States: TwoMorrows Publishing: 3–10.
2. ^ Posted on (December 3, 2014). "Shaft's Revenge - Preview Of The Prose Novel By David F. Walker". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
3. ^ "New SHAFT series and SHAFT'S REVENGE novel to be released February 2016". www.comiclist.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016.
4. ^ Hunter, Rob (June 19, 2019). "Shut Your Mouth: Exploring The 48-Year History of the 'Shaft' Franchise". Slash Film. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
5. ^ Hall, Jacob (August 18, 2017). "Jessie T. Usher is the 'Son of Shaft,' Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Roundtree Also Returning". /Film. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
6. ^ Romano, Nick (February 2, 2018). "Shaft actors past and present assemble in photo from set of reboot". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
7. ^ a b Mooney, Joshua (August 15, 1997). "Scowling 'Shaft' In His Past, Roundtree's Even Taking On Comedy". Philly.com. Philadelphia Media Network. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
8. ^ "Shaft (1971) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
9. ^ "Shaft's Big Score (1972) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
10. ^ a b Aldous, Steve. "Shaft in Africa (1973)". Steve Aldous official website.
11. ^ "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, January 9, 1974, p. 60.
12. ^ "Shaft (2000) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
13. ^ "Shaft (2019) - Financial Information". The Numbers. "Production Budget: $30,000,000"
14. ^ "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
15. ^ "Shaft (1971)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
16. ^ "Shaft (1971) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
17. ^ "Shaft's Big Score! (1972)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
18. ^ "Shaft in Africa (1973)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
19. ^ "Shaft (2000)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
20. ^ "Shaft Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
21. ^ "Shaft (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes.
22. ^ "Shaft (2019)". Metacritic.
23. ^ The Deadline Team (July 14, 2012). "'Django Unchained' A 'Shaft' Prequel? So Says Quentin Tarantino: Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 15, 2018.

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* t
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Shaft

Based on Shaft (1970) by Ernest Tidyman

Films|

* Shaft (1971)
* Shaft's Big Score! (1972)
* Shaft in Africa (1973)
* Shaft (2000)
* Shaft (2019)

Television|

* Shaft (1973–74)

Characters|

* John Shaft

Music|

* "Theme from Shaft"
* 1971 soundtrack
* Shaft in Africa
* 2000 soundtrack

* Category

*[Ref.]: Reference(s)
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