Kurt Russell wishes Big Trouble in Little China remake the best

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Like many of you guys out there, one of my favorite cult classics on the block is director John Carpenter's BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA starring Kurt Russell. And like many of you out there, I was immediately more than a little hesitant when I heard that Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson was set to produce and star in a remake of the flick. Supposedly, the new film will be more in-line with a sequel to the original than a remake, but all the same, just what the hell does Mr. Jack Burton himself think of the upcoming remake/sequel? Well to begin, Russell just told USA TODAY that he “probably won’t be” in the continuation of director John Carpenter’s action-adventure. But that said, he wishes them luck.

Russell remarks:

I always say the same thing, which is, well, you've got to make a good movie. I'll still take the original Mutiny on the Bounty.

He continues:

Nobody had ever done a leading man who didn't realize he wasn't the leading man. He behaves like the sidekick but doesn't know that. That hadn't been done and it was difficult for the studio to get around in terms of promoting it, too.

And finally:

[Dwyane Johnson is] just a really good guy. I like working with him and if he's going to do it, he and his crew will hopefully be able to come up with something that I guess makes the title work.

Okay so now we know what Russell thinks of the remake, and we have already reported that John Carpenter doesn't have many nice things to say. Last month the master of horror told CinemaBlend, "They want a movie with Dwayne Johnson. That's what they want. So they just picked that title. They don't give a shit about me and my movie. That movie wasn't a success."

Personally, I'm strangely optimistic about this new film. The Rock usually brings with him a sizeable budget, so this might be the best chance we have at seeing a big-budget sequel to Carpenter's classic. Hell, maybe even with these comments out there, Kurt Russell will still (surprise) return as Jack Burton – and maybe the powers that be will eventually reach out to Carpenter as time goes on and the movie gets close to shooting. I guess we'll see.

The original John Carpenter film starred Russell as hard-boiled

Truck driver Jack Burton, who gets caught in a bizarre conflict within, and underneath, San Francisco's Chinatown. An ancient Chinese prince and Chinatown crime lord have kidnapped a beautiful green-eyed woman, who is the fiancee of Jack's best friend. Jack must help his friend rescue the girl before the evil Lo Pan uses her to break the ancient curse that keeps him a fleshless and immortal spirit.

What do you think of John Carpenter's comments regarding Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's remake of BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA? Make sure to hit us up and let us know below! Until then, you can snag the original film on Blu-ray HERE.