The Big Trouble In Little China Sequel Most Fans Never Heard Of

Director John Carpenter was in the midst of a career hot streak from the mid-1970s into the 1980s. With the likes of the bizarrely low-budgeted "Halloween," "Escape from New York," and "The Thing," behind him, he released "Big Trouble in Little China" in 1986. The film, starring frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell — though you likely never saw their first movie — as truck driver-turned-action hero Jack Burton, turned out to be a critical hit, but struggled tremendously in the financial department. Thus, despite its current status as a silver screen standout, it never received a sequel. At least, that's what most fans of the feature have been led to believe.

As it happens, "Big Trouble in Little China" did receive a continuation in the form of "Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack." Set in 2020, the limited comic series was written by Carpenter and Anthony Burch, with illustrations by Jorge Corona, and continues the 1986 classic's story. An aged Burton has to form an alliance with his old adversary, David Lo Pan (portrayed by James Hong in the original movie), as the apocalypse tears their world apart. All the while, he's wary of his scheming archenemy's true intentions.

Even though this follow-up comic exists, that doesn't mean that a "Big Trouble in Little China" movie sequel isn't in the works. At least, so it was a few years ago.

All in all "Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack" is every bit as bonkers and action-packed as its cinematic companion piece. Even in print form, it's great to see the likes of Jack Burton, David Lo Pan, and more folks from the original movie back in the spotlight. Before this comic even hit stands, though, a big screen sequel to the 1986 favorite had already been reported as being in development. However, so far, the seemingly still-upcoming feature won't resemble the first "Big Trouble in Little China" or "Old Man Jack" much at all.

Initially revealed in 2015, the next "Big Trouble in Little China" film was said to be a reboot, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at the forefront as the new Burton. It then came to light in 2018 that Johnson's "Big Trouble in Little China" isn't a remake of the classic, but a continuation without Burton, and, therefore, Kurt Russell, at the forefront. It stands to reason John Carpenter won't be involved creatively either, telling CinemaBlend in 2022, "They want a movie with Dwayne Johnson. That's what they want. So they just picked that title. They don't give a s*** about me and my movie."

At the time of publication, there haven't been any further significant updates on Johnson's "Big Trouble in Little China" continuation, prompting one to wonder if the film will ever see the light of day. If it doesn't, at least fans can give "Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack" a read to keep the story of the '80s classic going.