# Buckaroo Banzai vs. The World Crime League **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [June 14, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214 "2004-06-14T01:15:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/1 "2004-06-14T01:15:48Z")
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 . . . ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/2 "2004-06-14T01:20:08Z")
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](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090728/trivia) . I have not heard why the original film was rejected though. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/3 "2004-06-14T01:20:44Z")
I think it was just a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/4 "2004-06-14T01:26:52Z")
> [@Bill Door](#): > > 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](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090728/trivia) . I have not heard why the original film was rejected though. [This](http://www.figmentfly.com/bb/q12.html) site says that the connection to “Little China” is a myth. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/5 "2004-06-14T03:07:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/6 "2004-06-14T03:34:59Z")
[Here’s](http://www.figmentfly.com/bb/q12.html) all I could find- there seems to be a sordid story of embezzlement and violence behind it all. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/7 "2004-06-14T18:41:41Z")
The Special Edition DVD has material on it within the POV of the film talking about the World Crime League. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/8 "2004-06-14T19:39:57Z")
I suspect the notorious Hanoi Xan. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/9 "2004-06-14T20:07:23Z")
It’s my dream to one day direct _Buckaroo Banzai vs. The World Crime League_! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/10 "2004-06-14T23:09:03Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > 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? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/11 "2004-06-14T23:18:45Z")
I don’t know about **vib** but I think Johnny Depp would make a good Buckaroo. ---
**Author:** ![Spurious\_George](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Spurious\_George](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spurious_George)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/12 "2004-06-14T23:44:08Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > It’s my dream to one day direct _Buckaroo Banzai vs. The World Crime League_! Sweet. It’s my dream to write it! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/13 "2004-06-15T00:50:44Z")
> [@Jeff Olsen](#): > > I don’t know about **vib** but I think Johnny Depp would make a good Buckaroo. 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. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/14 "2004-06-15T00:58:44Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > Since most of the original cast will be too old, who would you cast in your sequel? I vote for the cast from _Good Burger_. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/15 "2004-06-15T02:11:23Z")
I wonder if they could think of a way to bring back Whorfin/Lizardo – John Lithgow ain’t too old! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/16 "2004-06-15T07:58:22Z")
Christopher Lloyd can resume playing John Bigbootie no problem! ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/17 "2004-06-15T11:13:28Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Christopher Lloyd can resume playing John Bigbootie no problem! That’s Bigboote! \ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/18 "2004-06-15T12:44:17Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > Since most of the original cast will be too old, who would you cast in your sequel? 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!” ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/19 "2004-06-15T18:33:38Z")
**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. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214/20 "2004-06-15T20:29:43Z")
[The Great Depp](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/) 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](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005562/) to don the Red Glasses of Scientific Justice. When he laughs us off, [Sam Rockwell](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000354/), [Matt Damon](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000354/), and [Elijah Wood](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000704/) will get phone calls. Hell, it doesn’t look like[Peter Weller](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000693/) 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](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000329/) 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](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001786/). For Penny Priddy, you need someone who looks good with short blonde hair and who can do the damsel in distress thing. [Cameron Diaz](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000139/) should do nicely. And there’s got to be a way to get [John Lithgow](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001475/) or [Christopher Lloyd](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000502/) 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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckaroo-banzai-vs-the-world-crime-league/250214.md?page=2)