Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson set for Big Trouble in Little China reboot

The Eighties cult classic is getting a makeover from the X-Men screenwriters

Jess Denham
Tuesday 02 June 2015 14:08 BST
Comments
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is in talks to bring Jack Burton back to life in a new Big Trouble in Little China remake
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is in talks to bring Jack Burton back to life in a new Big Trouble in Little China remake (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is in talks to lead a remake of cult action-comedy Big Trouble in Little China.

John Carpenter's 1986 movie starred Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a truck driver dragged into an ancient mystical battle in San Francisco's Chinatown. It was a commercial flop and panned by critics (Roger Ebert gave it two stars) but has since amassed a devoted fanbase.

Wrestler turned actor Johnson has been lined up to take on this main role with X-Men: First Class screenwriters Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz penning the new script.

Kurt Russell as Jack Burton in the 1986 Big Trouble in Little China
Kurt Russell as Jack Burton in the 1986 Big Trouble in Little China (IMDB)

Things are looking positive that a deal will be finalised as Big Trouble is believed to be one of Johnson's favourite movies. He also starred with Russell in Furious 7 so should be on good enough terms to glean some tips about playing the role.

Fans of the original are as usual protesting news of a reboot while some are just bemused as to why the camp adventure is even worthy of one in the first place.

Johnson is riding high at the moment after disaster flick San Andreas took $53.2 million in the US over the weekend - his best box office result so far.

He will soon start work on comedy Central Intelligence before voicing the character of Maui in upcoming Disney film Moana. There's also professional football series Ballers in the pipeline for HBO.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in