John Carpenter Reacts To ‘Big Trouble In Little China’ Remake

John Carpenter has finally responded to the news that a Big Trouble in Little China remake is in the works with talk of Dwayne Johnson in the lead role that Kurt Russell once occupied.

If you’re thinking the legendary director shouldn’t have a problem with it since Hollywood has remade Halloween, The Thing, and Assault on Precinct 13, well, you’d be right.

In fact, he’s even quick to point out that he didn’t write the first film. Those chores were handled by Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein, and W.D. Richter.

You get a sense from his comments to the Wall Street Journal that it may have been just a paycheck to him.

“It’s very early in the process. I haven’t spoken to Dwayne Johnson about any of this…. I’m ambivalent about a remake. On the other hand, it depends on how much they pay me.”

It was announced earlier this month that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was very interested in spearheading a Big Trouble in Little China remake.

There were many online none too pleased with the news. Johnson tried to quell some of those fears in an online interview with Entertainment Weekly to set minds at ease. He said at the time that he’d be doing everything possible to bring John Carpenter on board.

“I loved reading the reactions from the fans, that they were so polarized – I’m the same way. My response is: know that I come to the project with nothing but love and respect for the original, which is why we want to bring on John Carpenter.”

This new information from Carpenter will no doubt be discouraging for fans if it’s true he hasn’t been contacted. After all, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. owns the rights, and they plan on fast-tracking this one for 2016. We’re halfway through 2015, so the call should have already happened.

It’s interesting that Fox would want to bring Big Trouble in Little China back to the big screen. While it has a small following, the original movie was sort of a financial flop, grossing $11 million on a budget of $25 million, according to IMDb.

You don’t often see unsuccessful movies get sequels or reboots, so this should be interesting.

What do you think about revisiting Big Trouble in Little China, readers? Do you think this is a film that could benefit from a second outing, or should Hollywood invest in some original ideas? And if you do like the idea of a remake, would you bring John Carpenter on board? Sound off in the comments section.

[Image via Big Trouble In Little China screen grab]