Big Trouble in Little China 2 is Still Possible

It appears that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his producing partner, Hiram Garcia, are still planning to make a sequel to Big Trouble in Little China. Released in 1986, the first film was directed by John Carpenter and starred Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun, Kim Cattrall, and James Hong. Big Trouble in Little China is centered around rough-and-tumble Jack Burton (Russell) as he helps his friend Wang Chi (Dun) rescue his “green-eyed” fiancée from a gang of bandits from the underworld of San Francisco’s Chinatown. The pair must confront an ancient Chinese sorcerer, David Lo Pan (Hong), who is cursed by Emperor Qun Shi Huan to roam the Earth as a ghost until he marries a green-eyed woman.

Over 30 years after its release, Big Trouble in Little China remains a cult classic that is adored for its wacky story, mix of martial arts, fantasy elements, and iconic quotes. Carpenter’s film was originally envisioned as a western, however, the script underwent extensive changes, such as modernizing the story. Despite its cult following, the movie was an immediate point of controversy, which mainly criticized its racist stereotypes of Asian people. Going further, some elements in the film haven’t aged very well, particularly certain themes and depictions. That said, the film was successful enough to warrant talks of a sequel, and while two drafts of it were written, a second movie has never actually come to light. However, it now seems like a sequel is still being considered.

In an interview with Collider, Garcia gave a brief update on the status of the sequel to Big Trouble in Little China. Speaking on behalf of Johnson and the rest of Seven Bucks Productions, Garcia explains that the sequel is still possible, though there may be some rights issues currently holding them back. Garcia is also quick to reiterate that the movie would not be a remake of the original. View Garcia’s full quote below:

“It’s still an ambition of ours but unfortunately there are complications that come with a legacy property like that which has so much attached to it from over the years. We have a really fun idea on what we’d want to do with it, especially since our goal was never to remake Big Trouble but simply continue it. Similar to what we did with Jumanji we would continue the story and make sure the original stands on it’s own since it means so much to us and fans all around the world. So needless to say we are still working on making that happen but as with any great project the road is not easy but we are sticking to it! We’re going to figure out a way to continue the story of Big Trouble in Little China.”

What Garcia may be alluding to in his quote is the fact that Carpenter has made himself very clear concerning reboots to his films. The legendary director fully supports remakes of his movies, so long as he gets paid. To date, there have been three movies remade from Carpenter’s filmography, and the director has not shied away from offering his opinion about them. Another topic Garcia touched on in his interview was the fact that his film would be a sequel, not a remake. Essentially, the movie would exist in the same universe as the original, meaning Russell’s adventure as Jack Burton will still have taken place.

Russell will most likely not appear in Big Trouble in Little China 2, however fans of the cult classic may take comfort in the fact that it is planned to take place in the same universe. While the original film was marred by accusations of racism, it will be interesting to see how Garcia and Johnson handle the themes and story of a sequel. Though, with Johnson and Seven Bucks Productions preoccupied with numerous projects, and given the red tape for obtaining the property’s rights, a Big Trouble in Little China sequel may not happen anytime soon.

Source: Collider

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John Deloss
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John Deloss is a freelance entertainment writer for Screen Rant, having just recently joined the team. A California State University, Fullerton graduate with a B.A. in English, John is an aspiring writer hungry to make a name for himself — emphasis on hungry. When he’s not behind a keyboard, you can find him out on the trail backpacking or at home brewing beer.

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