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| By Stefan Blitz |
Let’s start this by saying, I like The Rock.
He’s smart and extremely charismatic. That took him from the wrestler starring in The Scorpion King to an A-list actor with his choice of projects. This is a guy who took his cues from the choices that Schwarzenegger made when transitioning into comedy and took it further.
With such projects as several very successful Saturday Night Live hosting gigs, the Get Shorty sequel Be Cool, Get Smart, the Fast and Furious series and Pain & Gain, variety is one of the keys to his ongoing success.
Which brings us to the news of Johnson producing and starring in a remake of John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China.
Why?
There are many things that he does well. He knows his persona and more importantly, knows what works for him onscreen. And I’d be down for him co-starring alongside an older, grizzled Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) in a sequel.
But to remake this cult film?
Big Trouble flopped in it’s initial release. It found it’s audience on cable and VHS. Those original viewers are parents. And unlike many of it’s other contemporary films released in the Eighties, Big Trouble aged pretty well.
I know financially it makes sense. It could easily be a new franchise for him and in terms of performance, I think he’d knock it out of the park. I just don’t know if there’s a filmmaker that is studio friendly that can do it justice without either making it too dark or worse, poorly imitate Carpenter’s original vision.
Unless of course, you hire Carpenter. But that’s not going to happen. Unless of course, The Rock is saavy enough to demand it.
Thoughts?
