#movie #show #cinema #facts #actors
*
In 1986, the high-budget film "Big Trouble in Little China," directed by John Carpenter, was a commercial failure, heavily criticized by all American critics. In some countries where the American press wasn't read and there was no one to talk about the movie's mediocrity and foolishness, the project was a huge success and even became one of the main hits of those years. Over time, the film became a cult classic in the United States as well, influencing other intellectual properties. Critics started to revise their reviews, this time focusing on previously overlooked aspects of the film. This was quite typical of American journalists. Before "Big Trouble," they also criticized the film "Blade Runner," which later achieved cult status.
A few years ago, there were numerous rumors about 20th Century Fox’s desire to remake JOHN CARPENTER’s film. The studio was discussing the possibility of casting Dwayne Johnson in the remake. However, after Disney bought Fox, all discussions died down. It's quite possible that 'Big Trouble' could end up as a series on some streaming platform, though without Dwayne Johnson.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, John Carpenter directed many low-budget films that did well at the box office and later achieved cult classic status. With a combined budget of $1.3 million, movies like "Halloween" and "The Fog" made $80 million at the box office. "Halloween" immediately turned into a franchise. After the box office success of the 1981 film "Escape from New York," the director garnered attention from large Hollywood studios. Despite a sharp increase in his films' budgets, the director started to lose out on box office successes. In 1982, his film "The Thing" failed at the box office. Then, the same fate befell "Christine" in 1983 and the science fiction romance drama "Starman," starring Jeff Bridges, in 1984. In 1986, it was the turn of "Big Trouble in Little China."
Originally, the film was supposed to be set in the late 19th century. The main character of the film was intended to be a meat delivery man for Chinese workers. Along the way, he would come across different mythical creatures involved in the criminal business related to the railway’s construction. At that point in production, Walter Hill, the director behind films like "48 Hours." and "Streets of Fire," considered taking over the project. At the time, the tone of the film was described as a blend of "Indiana Jones" and "Romancing the Stone." However, Walter Hill ultimately switched to directing "Brewster's Millions," and John Carpenter was brought in to helm “Big Trouble.”
Carpenter was particularly drawn to Eastern philosophy in the script. Shortly before "Big Trouble in Little China," the director had been working on a martial arts film called "The Ninja." The film never made it out of pre-production and was eventually cancelled. The director decided to take advantage of the opportunity and incorporate some of his ideas from the unreleased film into "Big Trouble." Carpenter's new film also faced significant production challenges, partially due to the director’s refusal to accept the studio’s casting choices.
Rumors suggest that the director intentionally extended the pre-production phase to ensure that actors Jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood, who the studio wanted in the lead role, couldn't participate. When Eastwood and Nicholson were no longer available, Carpenter suggested casting Kurt Russell. With no other option, the studio agreed to hire the actor. In one of his interviews, Kurt Russell said that he was very afraid to take on the lead in the film because his recent works had been failing at the box office. Before signing the contract, he expressed his concerns to John Carpenter. However, he advised Russell not to dwell on such matters and said that he simply wanted to make another film with him in the lead.
At the time, Kurt Russell was the top choice for the title role in the film "Highlander." However, he had to decline the part of Connor MacLeod in favor of "Big Trouble." Christopher Lambert quickly stepped in to replace him.
After Kurt Russell joined, the film's setting was shifted from the 19th century to the present day. According to the director, he and Kurt Russell concluded that changing the time setting of the script would give them greater creative freedom.
The next problem was casting an actress to play the main character's love interest. The studio strongly opposed having Kim Cattrall in this role. Studio executives believed that the actress, who had previously starred in movies like "Police Academy," wasn't the right choice to play Gracie Law. They suggested that Carpenter choose another actress, but he continued to stand his ground, and the studio eventually gave in.
Carpenter also wanted to cast Jackie Chan as Wang Chi. To invite the actor, he had to confront Lawrence Gordon, the head of 20th Century Fox.
Негізгі бет Ойын-сауық BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) - the story of failure
Пікірлер: 7