Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Big Trouble In Little China’ Is More Continuation Than Remake
Among the more intriguing projects on the enormous docket of enormous action star Dwayne Johnson is what was initially described as a remake of Big Trouble in Little China, the cult 1986 film from director John Carpenter. Originally starring Kurt Russell as macho (and borderline incompetent) action hero Jack Burton, the film blended sci-fi, action, and comedy into a unique combination.
Okay, so it was unique until they decided to make a second one. But Hiram Garcia, the president of Johnson’s production company tells Collider, that their Big Trouble will not be a remake after all. Instead, it will be more of a sequel:
The idea is not to actually remake Big Trouble in Little China. You can’t remake a classic like that, so what we’re planning to do is we’re going to continue the story. We’re going to continue the universe of Big Trouble in Little China. Everything that happened in the original exists and is standalone and I think there’s only one person that could ever play Jack Burton, so Dwayne would never try and play that character. So we are just having a lot of fun.
I love Big Trouble in Little China and I have no idea why you would try to remake it. The original only made about $11 million! That’s roughly the equivalent of $25 million today. Those are not exactly the numbers studios want to see when they get into the Rock action movie business. Sure, Big Trouble is now regarded as one of the cult movies par excellence of its era, but again, cult movies become cult movies because they don’t generate a ton of money on the first go-around. I don’t know that a sequel would be any more of a cash generator, either.
So would I personally make a Big Trouble in Little China movie with Dwayne Johnson? Not with my money, no. Would I buy a ticket to a Big Trouble in Little China with Dwayne Johnson? Heck yes. The slyly comic tone of the original is perfect for Johnson’s persona. But I’m a weird dude.
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