By ANI

Washington, Aug 9 (ANI): Actress Joan Allen is set to star in the Universal Pictures’ remake of 1975 cult action film ‘Death Race 2000’, to be directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.

Actors Ian McShane and Tyrese Gibson also are buckling up for ‘Death Race’, which will star Jason Statham in the lead role, Hollywood Reporter reports.

The film, which is to be produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner via their C/W Productions along with Anderson and his Impact Pictures partner Jeremy Bolt, shows a future America in which prisoners are forced to brutally compete in an enclosed arena.

Statham will play a prisoner, Frankenstein who is forced to become a driver just weeks before his release, and becomes the crowd favourite.

Allen will play the warden of the prison who runs the race and mercilessly forces Statham to enter the arena.

McShane will star as a coach, while Gibson will be Machine Gun Joe, a sociopathic racer, who seeks to escape from prison.

The film’s production will start this year with an aim for a fall 2008 release. (ANI) (Source: Yahoo! India)