Summary

  • Kurt Russell is open to the idea of reprising his role in a potential Big Trouble in Little China 2 if the script is better than the first one and if John Carpenter agrees to direct.
  • Talks of a Big Trouble in Little China follow-up have been ongoing for nearly a decade, with Dwayne Johnson originally planning a remake but later clarifying it would be a sequel. Development has faced complications.
  • The biggest hurdle for a potential Big Trouble in Little China 2 lies in getting approval from John Carpenter, who may be more protective of his filmography after the success of David Gordon's Green's Halloween trilogy. However, Dwayne Johnson's success with Jumanji might pave the way for a sequel.

As the original remains one of his most beloved movies in his filmography, Kurt Russell addresses the chances of a Directed by John Carpenter, the movie was memorably a commercial failure in spite of its strong reviews, resulting in the filmmaker leaving mainstream Hollywood while the movie itself became a cult classic.

During a recent interview with the Monsterverse show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Russell was asked about the possibility of returning for a Big Trouble in Little China 2. The actor confirmed he is open to the idea of reprising Jack in a sequel, though stated his two big conditions for returning would be for the story to be "better than the first one" and to convince Carpenter to return to direct it. See what Russell said below:

You never say never. I mean, if somebody were to write a great script, that was better than the first one, [and] it had something new to say, I don't know, we can slap John Carpenter around a little bit and say, "Come on, John! Let's go do this."

Will Big Trouble In Little China 2 Ever Happen?

Talks of a potential Big Trouble in Little China follow-up have swirled for nearly the past decade when Dwayne Johnson was announced to be developing a remake of the cult classic in 2015, planning to star as Jack Burton and produce the project. Development has seemingly gone dormant in the years since, with Seven Bucks Productions President Hiram Garcia clarifying in 2018 that it would be a sequel, not a remake. His most recent update came in 2021, though proved far more cautious as he indicated "complications" preventing him and Johnson from moving forward with it:

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.

Outside of Johnson and Garcia, other filmmakers have shared their interest in bringing their own visions to the property. James Wan in particular teased his desire to remake Big Trouble in Little China in early 2023, wanting to partner with frequent collaborator Patrick Wilson to have him star in the movie thanks to their shared love of Carpenter. The Conjuring and Aquaman director did, however, note that their remake ideas are more of a fantasy than an actual push to acquire the rights.

While it's unclear if Johnson's version of the movie will ever get off the ground, the biggest hurdle for Big Trouble in Little China 2 seems to lie more with a filmmaker getting approval from Carpenter to move forward with a follow-up. Following the success of David Gordon's Green's Halloween trilogy, it seems more likely that the directing legend will closer hold on to his filmography to avoid any lackluster remakes or sequels to be produced. However, with Johnson's Jumanji movies proving to be worthwhile follow-ups to the beloved Robin Williams adventure, the blockbuster star might still find the right path forward for Burton's return.

Source: ComicBook.com