Shaft - Watch Order: Release Order
The Shaft franchise follows three generations of the legendary private detective family. Beginning with the 1971 blaxploitation classic that made Richard Roundtree an icon, the series established John Shaft as the epitome of cool with his leather coat, street smarts, and unforgettable Isaac Hayes theme song.
This release order presents the complete multi-generational saga, from Roundtree's original trilogy through the 2000 soft reboot featuring Samuel L. Jackson and culminating in the 2019 film that brings all three generations of Shafts together. While the series evolved from 1970s blaxploitation to modern action cinema, the core appeal of the smooth-talking, tough-as-nails detective remains constant throughout.
Linear Timeline: Release Order = Story Order
Shaft
New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted -- especially since he's paid a drug kingpin to kill the witness.
Shaft
JJ, aka John Shaft Jr., may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly.
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