Rollerball is a 1975 American [6] dystopian science-fiction sports film directed and produced by
Norman Jewison [7], starring
James Caan. The screenplay, written by
William Harrison [8], adapted his own short story "
Roller Ball Murder" [1], which had first appeared in the September 1973 issue of
Esquire magazine [9]. Set in a "not too distant" future world ruled by a corporatocracy, the predictive film centers on the titular sport — an often-
brutal spectacle used to placate the populace.
Jonathan E. (played by Caan), the sport's top player, finds himself at odds with the ruling powers when his popularity threatens to hurt their grip on power. It co-stars John Houseman, Maud Adams, John Beck, Moses Gunn, and
Ralph Richardson.
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