Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson set for Big Trouble in Little China reboot

The Eighties cult classic is getting a makeover from the X-Men screenwriters

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is in talks to bring Jack Burton back to life in a new Big Trouble in Little China remake (Getty Images)

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is in talks to lead a remake of cult action-comedy Big Trouble in Little China.

John Carpenter's 1986 movie starred Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a truck driver dragged into an ancient mystical battle in San Francisco's Chinatown. It was a commercial flop and panned by critics (Roger Ebert gave it two stars) but has since amassed a devoted fanbase.

Wrestler turned actor Johnson has been lined up to take on this main role with X-Men: First Class screenwriters Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz penning the new script.

Kurt Russell as Jack Burton in the 1986 Big Trouble in Little China (IMDB)

Things are looking positive that a deal will be finalised as Big Trouble is believed to be one of Johnson's favourite movies. He also starred with Russell in Furious 7 so should be on good enough terms to glean some tips about playing the role.

Fans of the original are as usual protesting news of a reboot while some are just bemused as to why the camp adventure is even worthy of one in the first place.

Johnson is riding high at the moment after disaster flick San Andreas took $53.2 million in the US over the weekend - his best box office result so far.

He will soon start work on comedy Central Intelligence before voicing the character of Maui in upcoming Disney film Moana. There's also professional football series Ballers in the pipeline for HBO.