Questions
When did Big Trouble in Little China come out and who directed it?
It was released on July 2, 1986 by 20th Century Fox and directed by John Carpenter. The runtime is 99 minutes.
Who plays Jack Burton?
Kurt Russell plays Jack Burton, the cocky truck driver. Carpenter cast him thanks to their existing rapport after working together on Elvis, Escape from New York, and The Thing.
Who is in the main cast?
Along with Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, the film stars Kim Cattrall as lawyer Gracie Law, Dennis Dun as Wang Chi, James Hong as the villain Lo Pan, and Victor Wong as the magician Egg Shen.
Is Jack Burton actually the hero of the movie?
Not quite. Jack is portrayed as a bumbling sidekick who thinks he is the hero, and he even knocks himself unconscious before the climactic battle, while Wang Chi carries the traditional leading-man competence.
What is the name of Jack Burton’s truck?
His truck is nicknamed the Pork Chop Express, and he uses a CB radio throughout the film. The title theme was even named after it.
Was the script always set in modern San Francisco?
No. First-time writers Gary Goldman and David Z. Weinstein originally wrote it as Lotus, set in the 1880s Wild West with a cowboy protagonist named Wiley Prescott. W.D. Richter then rewrote it in about 10 weeks and moved it to contemporary San Francisco.
Did the movie make money?
No, it was a box office disappointment. On a budget of roughly 19 to 25 million dollars, it grossed only about 11.1 million dollars in North America, opening to 2.7 million in 1,053 theaters during a summer that also had Aliens.
How was Lo Pan’s aged appearance created?
Steve Johnson led the effects work, and Lo Pan’s wizened old-age makeup was reportedly inspired by Dick Smith’s work on Little Big Man. The effects team also handled his transformation into a middle-aged form.
Why did Carpenter rush the film into production?
Carpenter had been offered The Golden Child but declined, then hurried Big Trouble into production in October 1985 so it would reach theaters about five months before The Golden Child’s Christmas release.
Who did Carpenter originally want for the lead?
He reportedly wanted Clint Eastwood or Jack Nicholson, but both were unavailable, so the role went to Kurt Russell. Dennis Dun was cast as Wang Chi only days before principal photography began.
How did the studio react to the offbeat hero concept?
The studio reportedly did not get it, so Carpenter had to add a prologue explaining Jack Burton’s courage before the film proper begins.
How did the movie affect John Carpenter?
Its failure profoundly affected him. He said he was very proud of the film but that its reception was too much for him to deal with, which pushed him away from Hollywood studios and back toward independent filmmaking.
Did the movie eventually find an audience?
Yes. It enjoyed a major resurgence on home video and television and is now retrospectively recognized as one of Carpenter’s best works, even reportedly inspiring Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Was there ever talk of a remake or sequel?
Yes. In 2015 Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions developed a remake, and by 2018 it was being developed as a sequel instead. Carpenter remained ambivalent about it and did not meet with Johnson.
How did the effects team handle the Guardian creature?
Boss Film Studios created the Guardian creature effect using more than 60 artists, at a reported cost of over 100,000 dollars.
