At the end of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984), they flashed on the screen: “Watch out for Buckaroo Banzai vs. The World Crime League!” Or words to that effect. Watched for it, it never came. Does anybody know why they never made a sequel? Or whether they ever really planned one? And, is there any chance we might see it yet? I mean, if Lucas can revive the Star Wars franchise after all those years . . .
I have heard that the movie Big Trouble in Little China" was a reworked movie originally intended to be the Buckaroo Banzai sequel. See IMDB trivia . I have not heard why the original film was rejected though.
I think it was just a joke.
This site says that the connection to “Little China” is a myth.
This line in the IMDB tells the tale:
Gross: $6,172,000
Just as a comparision, Bachelor Party grossed $38 million US that year and Best Defense – a movie known to be a terrible bomb – grossed $19,265,302.
Buckaroo Banzai was a flop.
Here’s all I could find- there seems to be a sordid story of embezzlement and violence behind it all.
The Special Edition DVD has material on it within the POV of the film talking about the World Crime League.
I suspect the notorious Hanoi Xan.
It’s my dream to one day direct Buckaroo Banzai vs. The World Crime League!
Since most of the original cast will be too old, who would you cast in your sequel?
I don’t know about vib but I think Johnny Depp would make a good Buckaroo.
Sweet. It’s my dream to write it!
I’d dig that.
Random Buckaroo Banzai sighting…
COSI (Center of Science and Industry) Museum in Columbus. In the ‘Space’ area.
They have exhibits where you can try to dock a Gemini and launch compressed air rockets and such. And there’s a set where it’s laid out like a 1960s living room with a television showing clips from various space things (Apollo, pathfinder, what-have-you).
Along one small corridor is a set of plaques with famous quotes about the program.
“Houston, tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed.”
“Challenger we have a failure…”
and several others…including a quote from a never delivered speech by Nixon in the event that one of the Apollo moon landings crashed (creepy).
And the last one?
“Wherever you go…there you are”, credited to Buckaroo Banzai.
I vote for the cast from Good Burger.
I wonder if they could think of a way to bring back Whorfin/Lizardo – John Lithgow ain’t too old!
Christopher Lloyd can resume playing John Bigbootie no problem!
That’s Bigboote!
<Dies>
Shifting casts has worked all right for Batman.
BuckyBonz was definitely always a cult taste. The movie never caught on except with a rabid core of fans.
“Where are we going?”
“Planet 10!”
“When are we going?”
“Real soon!”
Jeff Olsen
Johnny Depp would be perfect.
For Hanoi Xan, I vote for that guy who played Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat, a eunuch in The Last Emperor, and an alien telepath in the series Space Rangers Of Fort Hope.
The Great Depp as Buckaroo Banzai! So brilliant, I’m going to have to change pants. Unfortunately, it looks like he’s booked through 2006, so we’ll ask Owen Wilson to don the Red Glasses of Scientific Justice. When he laughs us off, Sam Rockwell, Matt Damon, and Elijah Wood will get phone calls. Hell, it doesn’t look likePeter Weller is doing much these days. (note that Weller’s IMDB pic looks like it’s from Buckaroo Banzai!) Maybe he could be persuaded to reprise the role.
Hanoi Xan will be critical. We could try casting Jackie Chan against type, but I’m sure he would be waaaaaay too expensive. No, it’s better to go with someone who we can count on to both bring the proper gravitas to the role and put asses in seats:Captain Sulu.
For Penny Priddy, you need someone who looks good with short blonde hair and who can do the damsel in distress thing. Cameron Diaz should do nicely.
And there’s got to be a way to get John Lithgow or Christopher Lloyd back in. Perhaps one or both of them could have mysteriously survived the events of the first movie and are now teaming up with Hanoi Xan.