Sudden Death is a 1995 American action-thriller film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Powers Boothe, Raymond J. Barry, and Dorian Harewood. The film pits a lone fire marshal against extortionists who hold unsuspecting NHL players and fans for ransom during game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, and set payment milestones to coincide with the game's progress. It was Hyams' second directorial collaboration with Van Damme, after Timecop (1994) and before Enemies Closer (2013).Sudden Death was released in the United States by Universal Pictures on December 22, 1995 to mixed reviews, albeit better than most of Van Damme's earlier efforts. It was a minor success, grossing $64 million at the box office on an announced budget of $35 million. However, it fell short of Timecop's performance, especially domestically.