The Return of Billy Jack

Last updated
The Return of Billy Jack
Directed by Tom Laughlin
Written byTom Laughlin
Produced byTom Laughlin
StarringTom Laughlin
Delores Taylor
Rodney Harvey
CinematographyRobert Saad
Edited byRaja Gosnell
Nicholas C. Smith
Release dates
Unreleased (filmed in 1985 and 1986)
Country United States
Language English

The Return of Billy Jack is an unfinished theatrical film starring Tom Laughlin (who also directed), reprising his role as Billy Jack, and co-starring Rodney Harvey and Delores Taylor. The film was in production from December 1985 to early 1986 in New York City (with some scenes filmed in Central Park), with additional scenes filmed in Toronto.

Contents

Plot

Billy Jack takes on child pornographers in New York City.

Production

During the course of its filming, Laughlin suffered a head injury when a breakaway bottle malfunctioned while filming a scene in Toronto. By the time he recovered, funds to complete the film were depleted, and production never resumed. Laughlin originally planned to sell the film to a major studio, but plans either fell through or were never realized. [1] [2] At the time production stopped, only approximately 15 minutes of the motion picture had been filmed.

In addition, while filming was taking place in New York City, Laughlin broke up a street fight on Manhattan's West Side [3] and made a citizen's arrest of a man following an argument over Laughlin's driving. [4]

Attempted revivals

Despite The Return of Billy Jack being unfinished, Laughlin attempted to make another Billy Jack film. [5]

In March 2002, it was announced 3 Arts Entertainment and Danny DeVito's Jersey films were in negotiations with Laughlin for a new Billy Jack film with Keanu Reeves set to play the titular role. [6] The following month, DreamWorks Pictures announced their intention to buy the distribution rights for the project for $400,000 against $1.5 million, with Laughlin and his wife Delores Taylor hoping to reprise their roles from the original series and setup passing the torch to Reeves. [7] [8]

Later that same month, Laughlin made a deal with Intermedia, with 3 Arts and Jersey Films having dropped out, for the rights to make yet another sequel, however that endeavor ended in a lawsuit, with the rights reverting back to Laughlin in 2004 [5] [8] Laughlin died on December 12, 2013. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Crystal</span> American comedian, actor, and filmmaker

Billy Crystal is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is known as a standup comedian and for his film and stage roles. Crystal has received numerous accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award as well as nominations for three Grammy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007, the Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keanu Reeves</span> Canadian actor and musician (born 1964)

Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor and musician. He is the recipient of numerous accolades in a career on screen spanning four decades. In 2020, The New York Times ranked him as the fourth-greatest actor of the 21st century, and in 2022 Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Reeves is known for his leading roles in action films, his amiable public image, and his philanthropic efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Reeves</span> American actor (1914–1959)

George Reeves was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series Adventures of Superman (1952–1958).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Garber</span> Canadian actor

Victor Garber, is a Canadian actor. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2022, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judd Nelson</span> American actor (born 1959)

Judd Asher Nelson is an American actor. His acting roles include Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie, John Bender in The Breakfast Club, Alec Newbury in St. Elmo's Fire, Alex in Cybermutt, Joe Hunt in Billionaire Boys Club, Nick Peretti in New Jack City, Billy Beretti in Empire, and Jack Richmond in the television series Suddenly Susan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Urban</span> New Zealand actor (born 1972)

Karl-Heinz Urban is a New Zealand actor. His career began with appearances in New Zealand films and television series such as Xena: Warrior Princess. His first Hollywood role was in the 2002 horror film Ghost Ship. Since then, he has starred in many high-profile movies, including as Éomer in the second and third installments of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Vaako in the second and third installments of the Riddick film series, Leonard McCoy in the Star Trek reboot film series, Kirill in The Bourne Supremacy (2004), John "Reaper" Grimm in Doom (2005), Judge Dredd in Dredd (2012), Gavin Magary in Pete's Dragon (2016), and Skurge in Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok (2017). In 2013, he starred in the sci-fi series Almost Human. Since 2019, he has starred as Billy Butcher in Amazon Prime Video's superhero streaming television series The Boys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliott Gould</span> American actor (born 1938)

Elliott Gould is an American actor.

<i>Sunset Boulevard</i> (musical) 1993 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Sunset Boulevard is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics and libretto by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. It is based on the 1950 film of the same title.

<i>Billy Jack</i> 1971 film directed by Tom Laughlin

Billy Jack is a 1971 American action drama independent film, the second of four films centering on a character of the same name which began with the movie The Born Losers (1967), played by Tom Laughlin, who directed and co-wrote the script. Filming began in Prescott, Arizona, in the fall of 1969, but the movie was not completed until 1971. American International Pictures pulled out, halting filming. 20th Century Fox came forward and filming eventually resumed but when that studio refused to distribute the film, Warner Bros. stepped forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Laughlin</span> American actor (1931–2013)

Thomas Robert Laughlin Jr. was an American actor, director, screenwriter, author, educator, and activist.

<i>Speed 2: Cruise Control</i> 1997 film by Jan de Bont

Speed 2: Cruise Control is a 1997 American action thriller film produced and directed by Jan de Bont, and written by Randall McCormick and Jeff Nathanson. The sequel to Speed (1994), it tells the story of Annie Porter and Alex Shaw, a couple who go on vacation to the Caribbean aboard a luxury cruise ship, which is hijacked by a villain named John Geiger. While trapped aboard the ship, Annie and Alex work with the ship's first officer to try to stop it after they discover it is programmed to crash into an oil tanker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnie Yen</span> Chinese actor and martial artist

Donnie Yen Chi-tan is a Chinese actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director best known for his martial arts films. One of the highest paid actors in Asia.

<i>Billy Jack Goes to Washington</i> 1977 film by Tom Laughlin

Billy Jack Goes to Washington is a 1977 American political drama film starring Tom Laughlin, the fourth film in the Billy Jack series, and although the earlier films saw enormous success, this film did not. The film only had limited screenings upon its release and never saw a general theatrical release, but has since become widely available on DVD. The film is a loose remake of the 1939 Frank Capra film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and is directed by Laughlin under the on-screen pseudonym "T.C. Frank".

<i>The Trial of Billy Jack</i> 1974 film by Tom Laughlin

The Trial of Billy Jack is a 1974 Western action film starring Delores Taylor and Tom Laughlin. It is the sequel to the 1971 film Billy Jack and the third film overall in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman in film</span> Film adaptations of DC Comics Superman franchise

DC Comics's Superman franchise, based on the character of the same name created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in June 1938, has seen the release of various films since its inception. The character debuted in cinemas in a series of animated shorts beginning in 1941, and then was the protagonist of two movie serials in 1948 and 1950. An independent studio, Lippert Pictures, released the first Superman feature film, Superman and the Mole Men, starring George Reeves, in 1951. In 1973, the film rights to the Superman character were purchased by Ilya Salkind, Alexander Salkind, and Pierre Spengler. After numerous scripts and several years in development, Richard Donner was hired as their director, and he shot two films, Superman (1978), and Superman II (1980), at the same time, both starring Christopher Reeve. Donner had already shot eighty percent of Superman II before it was decided to finish shooting the first film. The Salkinds fired Donner after Superman's release and commissioned Richard Lester as the director to finish Superman II. Lester returned to direct Superman III (1983). The Salkinds also produced the related spin-off Supergirl (1984). They then sold the rights to Cannon Films, which produced the poorly reviewed Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). Ilya Salkind commissioned a fifth Superman script before Warner Bros. acquired the rights entirely in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delores Taylor</span> American actress

Delores Judith Taylor was an American film actor, screenwriter, and producer, known for her roles in the Billy Jack films of the 1970s.

John Wick is an American neo-noir action film series and media franchise created by Derek Kolstad. It centers on the titular character portrayed by actor Keanu Reeves. Wick is a legendary hitman who is reluctantly drawn back into the criminal underworld after retiring. The franchise began with the release of John Wick in 2014, followed by three sequels: Chapter 2 in 2017, Chapter 3 – Parabellum in 2019, and Chapter 4 in 2023.

<i>Shazam! Fury of the Gods</i> 2023 DC Studios film

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC character Shazam. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Studios, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the sequel to Shazam! (2019) and the 12th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, it stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D. J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, and Helen Mirren. In the film, Billy Batson / Shazam and his foster siblings fight the Daughters of Atlas.

Balboa Productions is an American film and television production company founded and led by Sylvester Stallone. The studio is named after his character Rocky Balboa from the Rocky franchise.

<i>Road House</i> (2024 film) American film by Doug Liman

Road House is a 2024 American action film that is a remake of the 1989 film Road House and stars Jake Gyllenhaal as an ex-UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys road house. The film is directed by Doug Liman, written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry and produced by Joel Silver. It also stars Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, JD Pardo. Austin Post, and Conor McGregor.

References

  1. ↑ Rhodes, Lucien (1 Dec 1987). "The Return Of Billy Jack". Inc. Magazine. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  2. ↑ "Actor Hurt During Filming". The Gainesville Sun. February 7, 1986. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  3. ↑ United Press International (August 28, 1986). "Life Imitates Art: Billy Jack Saves Downtrodden—From Further Abuse". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Billy Jack Character Lives, Makes Arrest". The Montreal Gazette. May 5, 1986. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Billy Jack Is Ready to Fight the Good Fight Again". The New York Times . June 20, 2005. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ "'Billy Jack' on way back". Variety. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  7. ↑ "'Rookie' pals step to plate for '60s radicals". Variety. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "D'Works remakes deals for two remakes". Variety. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  9. ↑ Barrineau, Trey (December 15, 2013). "'Billy Jack' Star Tom Laughlin Dies". USA Today . Retrieved February 28, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.