Big Trouble in Little China with The Rock

[MIKA27]

Big Trouble in Little China with The Rock will be the greatest cinematic experience of all time

Here's an empirical truth: everybody loves The Rock. If you're not a fan of wrestling, there's the Fast and Furious movies. If you hate cars; there's San Andreas. If you hate disaster movies, there's his upcoming HBO series Ballers. And if you hate yourself, there's even The Scorpion King. The point is that Dwayne Johnson has managed to turn himself into a likable, nice-guy leading man that can deliver on the action front while also transitioning credibly into comedy without skipping a beat. Which is why I'm very excited about him potentially starring in a remake of John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China.

The Wrap first broke the news that Johnson is in negotiations to star in a remake of the film, which back in 1986 featured Kurt Russell as a smirking, would-be action hero fighting supernatural forces in San Francisco's Chinatown. The movie was considered a box-office failure at the time, but went on to become a beloved cult classic, and its oddball mixture of martial arts, comedy, and tongue-in-cheek bravado could be a perfect fit for an actor who earlier this year flexed his way out of an arm cast. The new Big Trouble in Little China is being written by the team of Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz, who previously worked on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, X-Men: First Class, and the forthcoming Power Rangers movie.

Of course, the downside is that the remake could end up being a disappointing and cynical misfire like so many recent 1980s remakes (RoboCop and Poltergeist, right this way; your table is ready). But with Big Trouble in Little China, you're starting with a property that already has the goofiness and camp turned to 11 — just check out the trailer below — so the two likeliest outcomes are awesome, and more awesome.

MIKA: See for me the original was brilliant, the feel of movies in that era can not be replicated IMO.

[Ken Gargett]

agree. why so many remakes?

it is one thing if the movie was 50 years old or possibly another country (amazes me how many blockbusters are based on foreign movies - true lies springs to mind), but when hollywood did it 4 minutes ago, don't get it.

are these writers/producers so devoid of any inspiration?

if it gets a positive response, i might watch it when it hits tv, not before.

[MIKA27]

agree. why so many remakes?

it is one thing if the movie was 50 years old or possibly another country (amazes me how many blockbusters are based on foreign movies - true lies springs to mind), but when hollywood did it 4 minutes ago, don't get it.

are these writers/producers so devoid of any inspiration?

if it gets a positive response, i might watch it when it hits tv, not before.

There's a massive list of remakes and I'm sure the list is extensive but a good few examples that didn't need a remake;

- The Departed: Was a good movie but still not as good as the movie it was based off, Infernal Affairs. (Maybe this remake was good for the Western world as it was a Hong Kong movie but once you watch the original, the remake lacked a certain grittiness to it)

- Oldboy: Another remake of a South Korean classic. If you can read, Subtitles don't matter.

- Poseidon adventure (The remake doesn't come close to the original)

- The Karate Kid (Yes I know the original was campy but the original was meant to be campy and aimed for "The Family") remake (And I love Jackie Chan) was Kung Fu! How is it called THE KARATE KID?

- Conan The Barbarian (Would have been better off to just make it a movie about Barbarians..)

- The Wolfman (Epic failure remake which surprisingly cast Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro) it lacked atmosphere IMO and i was getting sick of Anthony Hopkins in so many movies)

- Charlie and The Chocolate Factory: Enough said

- Psycho

- Evil Dead (Remake had great special effects but the original cult classic story and acting is miles ahead of the remake)

And there a load more remakes to come. What has happened to movie writers?

I'm hearing Commando, Birds, The Wild Bunch, Jumanji, An American Werewolf In London, IT, are all ready for remakes. Weather one likes or dislikes a movie, I think I'd much rather watch a completely new and original movie versus a remake.

[Ken Gargett]

good list.

departed wasn't bad but agree re internal affairs.

when you say 'IT', please don't tell me you mean 'ET'? that would be unbearable. of that list, i could see american werewolf. it was a real special effects leader in its day but now would be so much more advanced. but even then, why bother?

whoever did psycho should be in jail. even for simply thinking of it.

there are a great many more, of course. some have worked but others less so.

[MIKA27]

when you say 'IT', please don't tell me you mean 'ET'?

No mate, I mean "IT" by Stephen King

[Fuzz]

Oh Lord, please say it ain't so!

Why does Hollywood insist on ruining classic cult films with remakes? Other classics that they ruined:

Clash of the Titans - Yep, just go ahead a re-write the myth

The Karate Kid - Kung Fu? Karate? It's basically all the same chop suey, hands and feet flying everywhere nonsense. No-one will notice

Arthur - John Gielgud = Helen Mirren Both are old and British, that'll do. Dudley's Arthur was a lovable drunk, Russel Brand is just annoying. Liza and Dudley had onscreen chemistry... Brand just had a load of pharmaceuticals in him

Fame - way to water down the storyline. Cutting away to a song a dance at the drop of a hat won't help the audience connect with the characters

Planet of the Apes - Heston's scenes, "Take your stinkin' paws off me, you damned dirty ape!" & "You maniacs! You blew it all up! God damn you all to Hell!" 'Nuff said.

Pride & Prejudice - whoever wrote the screen play for the Kiera Knightley version must have just skimmed the Cliff notes for Pride & Prejudice. After the Colin Firth version, there was no need to do another remake of this film that has been done ad nauseum

The Invasion - the 1978 remake of "Invasion of the Bodysnatchers" was a cult classic thriller... Daniel Craig's version was the Diet Coke of thrillers

Guess Who - remake of "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" starring Ashton Kutcher. You just can't beat the combo of Tracy & Hepburn.

[JohnS]

I agree that remakes usually don't work. However, in the case of the films below I think you'd agree there are exceptions...

1) The Thing (1982)

2) Heaven Can Wait (1978)

3) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

4) 12 Monkeys (1995)

5) Scarface (1983)

6) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

7) 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

8) Casino Royale (2006)

9) Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)

10) A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

11) True Grit (2010)

12) Some Like It Hot (1959)

13) Heat (1995)

14) Ocean's Eleven (2001)

15) The Maltese Falcon (1941)

[polarbear]

I think I'll pass on this one

[madbunny]

come up with a new idea you bunch of p$$$ks all these remakes what a load of crap ,kids these days wont know its a remake

[Geo17pip]

Ah man I dont know how this would turn out. The original is too good haha and hopefully the remake is not bad and wont ruin it. They should just bring Russell back.

[polarbear]

come up with a new idea you bunch of p$$$ks all these remakes what a load of crap ,kids these days wont know its a remake

Original Ideas don't draw in the views anymore

Tomorrowland, Jupiter Ascending, Transcendence, Chappie, Gods of Egypt, A Million Ways to Die in the West, The Judge, Neighbours, none of these films did well in 2014/2015 but the Avengers 2 will gross over a Billion Dollars at the box office before its run is up

[Jah]

This would be amazing.

[Fosgate]

Just wont be the same without Victor Wong and James Hong.

[jimsta10]

One of my all time favourites

[Mr.T]

Oh, one of my favorite movies of all time and should not be touched!! I never get tired of watching this movie. Please, don't make a remake of this classic.....and the Rock? Really?? I like him in action/drama movies, but I don't think he's done that well transitioning to comedic roles. The swagger, bravado and sarcasm of Jack Burton is tough to beat.