The crazy fantasy martial arts mix Big Trouble in Little China is considered a cult film today. However, lead actor Kurt Russell feared that his commercial bad luck might affect the film.
What kind of film is this? Big Trouble in Little China is an action film from 1986 that places Kurt Russell in a world inspired by Chinese mythology, filled with ghosts and demons. Horror master John Carpenter directed it and fulfilled his desire for a martial arts film.
Russell plays Jack Burton, a trucker searching for his stolen truck in the “Little China” district of San Francisco. He is supported by his friend Wang Chi, who is searching for his kidnapped fiancée. However, their opponents are not ordinary gangsters but use black magic.
The lead actor feared at the time that the film could fail due to his alleged bad luck. He was indeed correct. Today, however, Big Trouble in Little China is considered a cult film (via 3D Juegos).
The director stood by his protagonist
What concerns did Kurt Russell have? As the actor mentioned in the commentary for the film, at that time he had a series of failures behind him: Used Cars (German title: Mit einem Bein im Kittchen, 1980) and also The Best of Times (German title: Rocket Man, 1986) with Robin Williams fell short of expectations.
His only commercial success during that time was Escape from New York (Die Klapperschlange, 1981). Apparently, Russell was concerned that his bad luck could impact the success of Big Trouble in Little China. He reached out to John Carpenter and asked him, “John, you know, am I just the kiss of death? I mean, do you want that?”
However, the director was not swayed from his casting decision. For him, Kurt Russell was the perfect Jack Burton. He is said to have stated, “It doesn’t matter, I just want to make the film I want to make.” Russell appreciated that greatly.
The actor also reported that Carpenter never made him feel during the filming that he had chosen the wrong person for the role. The director added, “It’s probably strange for people to think about it now because they assume everyone has always been famous and successful. But that’s not the case.”
How did the film perform? Russell’s fears were confirmed: With a box office gross of $11.1 million in North America, Big Trouble in Little China barely recouped half of its estimated budget of $20 million (via MoviePilot).
The commercial failure may have been partly due to the marketing team not knowing how to promote the quirky genre mix.
Additionally, the film was released just a few days before James Cameron’s “Aliens – The Return.” The sci-fi film became one of the most successful movies of the year and may have overshadowed Big Trouble in Little China.
Only with the VHS release could the film build a loyal fanbase and is now regarded as a cult classic, thanks to its blend of drama, humor, and action. Today, the film can be easily streamed. More on this from our colleagues at MoviePilot: Now on Disney+: Truly crazy fantasy action with ghosts, monsters, and martial arts battles.
Furthermore, the portrayal of a wizard fighting with lightning is considered an inspiration for the design of the character Raiden from the original Mortal Kombat. The fighting games are one of the best-selling game series of all time – and thus clearly more successful than the source material.
The reboot, however, did not go as smoothly: Nintendo removes trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 after major blunders and ridicule
