Summary
- The Death Tour is a documentary film premiering at the Slamdance Film Festival that follows professional wrestlers on a unique road trip through Indigenous communities in Northern Manitoba.
- The film explores the physical hardships and emotional toll experienced by the wrestlers on this journey, while also showcasing their passion and determination.
- Chris Jericho, a wrestling legend and occasional actor, serves as executive producer and appears in the film alongside other wrestlers.
This year’s Slamdance Film Festival in Utah will host the world premiere of The Death Tour, a behind the scenes insight into the “one-of-a-kind wrestling trip,” produced by wrestling legend, AWE superstar and occasional actor Chris Jericho. The first trailer for the film, offers just a glimpse at the brutal conditions undertaken by those who participate in the event – and that is before the wrestlers even get into the ring. Check out a first look at The Death Tour below:
The Death Tour is described as a “road trip movie like none other which takes viewers on an epic journey to a part of the world rarely captured on camera.” The synopsis reads:
“Each winter, when the lakes freeze over, a motley gang of professional wrestlers leaves Winnipeg on a one-of-a-kind wrestling trip through remote Indigenous communities of Northern Manitoba. Wrestling insiders call it the ‘Death Tour’ – both for the physical hardships endured on the road and the emotional toll it takes on those who experience it.
Famous for its star-studded alumni, the trip offers wrestlers a rare taste of fame and a chance to see if they have what it takes to make it in professional wrestling. This deeply personal documentary travels through Canada’s frozen North and into the wrestlers’ minds as they battle the elements, each other, and the impacts of our colonial past.”
Having taken place across the last six decades, The Death Tour has been responsible for launching the careers of some of the sport’s greatest names. Now in its 50th year, this documentary film captures plenty of wrestling action but also delivers a story that will inspire anyone who is willing to risk it all to follow their dreams, with central themes of trauma, redemption, and passion. The film features wrestlers Sage “The Matriarch” Morin, Sean “Massive Damage” Dunster, Dez “The Eskimofo” Loreen, Sarah “The Scottish Warrior” McNicoll, and tour promotor Tony Condello, as well as Jericho himself.
The film comes from executive producer Chris Jericho (Founder of All Elite Wrestling), director Stephan Peterson (Ice Road Truckers), co-director Sonya Ballantyne (The Walking Dead: LAST MILE), and producers Stacey Tenenbaum (Shiners), and Sergeo Kirby (Roadsworth). The film will premiere on Friday January 19, 2024 at Slamdance Film Festival.
Chris Jericho Continues to Expand His Movie Roles
As one of pro wrestling’s biggest stars, Jericho has followed the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Dave Bautista and John Cena in testing his arm in the world of movies. Following an appearance in the post-credits scene of Terrifier 2, Jericho was recently confirmed to be reprising his role in the upcoming Terrifier 3, as an attendant in a psychiatric hospital who is clearly headed for a meeting with Art the Clown.
Jericho was also announced to lead the wrestling-based horror movie Dark Match, which also features Steven Ogg, Sara Canning and Michael Eklund. The film sees a small-time wrestling company taking up the offer of a well-paid gig in a backwoods town, only to discover that the local community is under the rule of a cult leader with a deadly plan for the match.
These movies will join Jericho’s previous appearances in films such as MacGruber, Sharknado 3 and Jay & Silent Bob Reboot.
