Hiding in Eastern Europe from a curse he cannot outrun, Johnny Blaze is offered his soul back in exchange for protecting a boy.
Neveldine and Taylor direct, and their handheld, over-cranked, permanently unwell style suits a character who is on fire and does not want to be. The premise is simple: protect the child, get the curse lifted, and find out what the offer is actually worth.
It is a reboot in tone if not in cast, since Nicolas Cage returns while almost everything else about the first film is discarded.
Show detailsWhich year is it from
Reference works file it as a 2011 film, and its own article does the same. It was shown publicly for one night, on 11 December 2011, and did not open widely until 17 February 2012.
This catalogue records 2012, because the release date field here means the general release rather than the first time an audience saw it. If you are comparing this entry against a list that says 2011, that is the reason, and neither of you is wrong.
How it connects
Watching these first makes this one land.
Sources
Facts last checked on Sep 7, 2026
Released: February 17, 2012