Jeff Goldblum, Peter Weller, And Christopher Lloyd Star In A Cult Classic Sci-Fi Movie

Any sci-fi movie starring Peter Weller, Christopher Lloyd, and Jeff Goldblum is going to appeal to genre fans. However, "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension" came out before "RoboCop," "Back to the Future," and "Jurassic Park" propelled these names to legendary heights. For a while, the flick was one of the many underseen '80s sci-fi gems out there, but it's since become a cult classic thanks to home video exposing viewers to its wacky charms.

Let it not be understated — "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension" is truly bonkers. The plot is difficult to explain, but it follows Weller's titular hero — a brain surgeon, rock star, and general renaissance man — and his band, The Hong Kong Cavaliers, as they get into it with inter-dimensional aliens. Goldblum portrays Sidney Zweibel, aka New Jersey, a doctor-turned-cowboy and member of Banzai's band. Lloyd, meanwhile, is John Bigboote (but don't call him Big Booty), one of the evil aliens.

That description barely scratches the surface, though. "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension" throws a lot at the viewer, introducing them to a wacky universe that's drenched in mythology and deep-cut references to obscure pop culture. Director W.D. Richter and screenwriter Earl Mac Rauch's project is ambitious, but its poor box office run meant that they never got to bring their grander vision to life.

Add "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension" to the list of sci-fi movies that should have been hits but bombed instead. As such, the planned sequel, "Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League," never happened as a movie, but a book version exists courtesy of Earl Mac Rauch. Of course, it isn't uncommon for great sci-fi movies to receive remakes. To the surprise of probably no one, a redo of "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension" has been discussed.

Kevin Smith was attached to a television reboot in 2016, but he backed out due to a lawsuit between Amazon MGM and the film's original creators. Fox was also interested in making a television spin-off in the '90s, but that never amounted to anything more than an announcement. Buckaroo Banzai's adventures have continued in comics and novels, so fans craving more from this universe can dig into some material. Still, there are many sci-fi aficionados out there who'd love to see more stories set in this world play out on the screen, as the first film teases a world of interesting possibilities.