Jackie Chan Remade One Of His Favorite Movies And It Was A Disastrous Flop

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As a dedicated fan, I can confidently say that there’s no need for Jackie Chan to validate his place among the greatest global film stars of all time. Whether he decides to hang up his acting boots tomorrow or churn out fifty more movies, even if they’re less than stellar, his iconic status will endure. His unparalleled talent and unwavering dedication to his craft are evident in every movie, especially when you consider that he performed all of his own fight scenes and stunts throughout his career.

Remember the “Armor of God” sequence that almost cost him his career? Despite this near-fatal incident, Jackie Chan has consistently put his body and life on the line for our entertainment over the subsequent decades. His commitment to delivering thrilling action sequences is truly unmatched, making him a legend in the eyes of fans worldwide.

Initially, it took some time for Chan to gain significant recognition in the U.S., but once he did, he quickly rose to become one of the most sought-after A-listers in Hollywood. During his peak stardom in Western cinema, Chan leveraged his influence to persuade Disney to invest a substantial amount on a remake of the 1956 sci-fi film “Around the World in 80 Days,” adapted from Jules Verne’s novel. This opportunity allowed him to reimagine a movie he admired, collaborate with Arnold Schwarzenegger (who appears in a cameo role), and showcase his capability to direct large-scale Hollywood blockbusters.

Well, he certainly achieved those first two goals — the third, not so much.

The original is an Oscar-winning classic

1956 saw the debut of the first full-length movie adaptation of “Around the World in 80 Days”. This film, set in 1872, features David Niven as Phileas Fogg, a man who dared to circumnavigate the Earth within eighty days. With no cars or planes available at the time, this seemed like an almost impossible feat. Some of Fogg’s wealthy friends placed bets against him accomplishing it. To aid him on his journey, Fogg recruits his assistant, Jean Passepartout, played by Cantinflas. Together, they embark on a thrilling worldwide adventure, encountering fascinating characters and breathtaking locales as they use bribery, bartering, and persuasion to secure various shortcuts and means of transportation.

“Around the World in 80 Days” was a massive success upon its debut and received a total of eight Oscar nominations, ultimately winning in five categories: best picture, best adapted screenplay, best cinematography, best editing, and best score. What’s even more remarkable is that it beat out heavyweight contenders “The King and I” and “The Ten Commandments” to claim the top prize. The film also garnered Golden Globes for best motion picture – drama, as well as best supporting actor – musical or comedy for Cantinflas. To add to its accolades, the three-person writing team behind the movie received a Writers Guild of America award for best written American comedy.

The film’s reputation, though, is somewhat ambiguous. It has been labeled as one of the least deserving Best Picture Oscar winners by some, and the general critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, which is based on contemporary reviews looking back, labels it as “undoubtedly superficial” with a relatively lenient 72% rating.

The remake was one of both Jackie Chan’s and Disney’s biggest flops ever

After a 1963 parody of The Three Stooges and a 2000 direct-to-video movie inspired by “Tweety’s High-Flying Adventure,” it wasn’t until 2004 that another full-length film adaptation of “Around the World in 80 Days” was made, with Jackie Chan’s version. Interestingly, this project had been in development since at least 1999, going through various writers, directors, and actors before Jackie Chan signed on as Passepartout, Steve Coogan as Phileas Fogg, and Frank Coraci taking the helm. With these key players on board, everyone was optimistic about the film, leading to a budget of over $110 million being allocated even before the movie found official distribution.

Initially, it was Disney who took over and prepared a strong marketing campaign for the film before its highly anticipated June premiere. However, things started to go awry when the reviews came out, which were predominantly negative but also included what some considered positive comments that could barely call the movie “somewhat entertaining.

In essence, it boils down to this: The public’s opinion is crucial, as demonstrated by whether they attend or not. Unfortunately, the film “Around the World in 80 Days” didn’t attract a substantial audience during its opening weekend, earning less than $8 million. By the time the movie concluded its run in cinemas, it had made only $72 million. When considering production costs, marketing expenses, and other factors, it is estimated that the film ended up losing approximately $100 million. This disappointing performance not only places “Around the World in 80 Days” among Disney’s biggest and most overlooked flops, but also among Jackie Chan’s least successful films where he served as the main star.

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2025-06-21 18:30