Tai-Pan (film)

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

Company type	Film production company
Industry	Film production
Founder	Dino De Laurentiis
Headquarters	United States
Key people	Dino De Laurentiis (producer)
Products	Films, including Tai-Pan (1986)

Tai-Pan is a 1986 adventure drama helmed by director Daryl Duke, inspired by James Clavell's 1966 novel bearing the same title. Although the film retains many principal characters and storylines, certain aspects were excluded due to restrictions imposed by communist Chinese censorship, resulting in considerable modifications.

The production was overseen by the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, which encountered persistent conflicts with Chinese officials and labor organizations throughout the shooting process. Ultimately, the movie failed to achieve success both critically and commercially. Duke later expressed that a miniseries format, akin to 1980's Shōgun or 1988's Noble House, would have been more appropriate to capture the novel’s intricate narrative.

Plot

Set in the aftermath of the British triumph in the First Opium War of 1842, the plot unfolds in Hong Kong, recently acquired for its valuable harbor and its potential as a trading gateway to mainland China.

The storyline centers on Dirk Struan and Tyler Brock, former shipmates turned adversaries who command two dominant trading firms. Their fierce rivalry fuels much of the commercial tension, with Struan holding the title of tai-pan—the chief executive of the largest trading company—and Brock striving to dethrone him by sabotaging his business and damaging his standing.

A significant exclusion from the adaptation is Struan’s initial encounter with Jin Qua, a scene in which, within the book, a pact involving four distinctive coins binds Struan to perform favors if presented with matching halves. This crucial narrative element and its ramifications are omitted from the film.

Cast

• Bryan Brown as Dirk Struan
• Joan Chen as May–May
• John Stanton as Tyler Brock
• Tim Guinee as Culum Struan
• Bill Leadbitter as Gorth Brock
• Russell Wong as Gordon Chen
• Katy Behean as Mary Sinclair
• Kyra Sedgwick as Tess Brock
• Janine Turner as Shevaun Tillman
• Norman Rodway as Aristotle Quance
• John Bennett as Captain Orlov
• Derrick Branche as Vargas
• Vic Armstrong as Drunken sailor
• Dickey Beer as Brock's crew
• Cheng Chuang as Jin Qua
• Chen Shu as Chen Sheng
• Rosemarie Dunham as Mrs. Fothergill
• Robert Easton as Count Zergeyev
• Richard Foo as Lin Din
• Nicholas Gecks as Horatio Sinclair
• Carol Gillies as Liza Brock
• Pat Gorman as British merchant 2
• Michael C. Gwynne as Jeff Cooper
• Billy Horrigan as Brock's crew
• Patrick Ryecart as Captain Glessing
• Bert Remsen as Wilf Tillman
• Rob Spendlove as Nagrek
• Lisa Lu as Ah-Gip
• Barbara Keogh as Mrs. Quance
• Denise Kellogg as a nude model
• Joycelene Lu as the beaten whore
• Phil Chatterton (tongplaw) as a boatswain
• Frans Dames as a British officer and merchant
• Chen Kuan-tai as Wung (cameo)
• Leslie Peterkin - Taipan's Piper

Production

Multiple efforts were undertaken to adapt Tai Pan for cinema.

1968 MGM proposed version

In 1966, Martin Ransohoff of Filmways secured rights through MGM for $500,000 plus profit sharing. Clavell was slated to write and co-produce while directing To Sir, with Love. Patrick McGoohan was announced for the role of Dirk Struan under director Michael Anderson, with Carlo Ponti serving as co-producer. The initial budget estimate reached $26 million but was later scaled back to $20 million, leading to delays. The project remained dormant until it was ultimately abandoned following James T. Aubrey’s appointment as MGM president.

Late 1970s proposed adaptation

In 1975, Run Run Shaw secured the rights from MGM and planned a $12 million production in partnership with Universal Studios. A screenplay was penned by Carl Foreman, but the film never materialized.

Later in that decade, Georges-Alain Vuille acquired the rights and commissioned George MacDonald Fraser to create a screenplay adaptation. After Fraser’s script received approval, Vuille proceeded to develop a sequel. Richard Fleischer was attached as director, and Steve McQueen initially agreed to star for an estimated $3 million but ultimately withdrew, receiving $1 million nonetheless.

Roger Moore was briefly linked to the project, with John Guillermin considered to direct a potential mini-series; however, funding was not secured. Moore praised the screenplay as among the finest he had encountered. Additionally, Sean Connery was contemplated for the lead role under director Martin Ritt, with Clavell expressing enthusiasm about Connery’s possible participation.

Eventually, Vuille lost control of the rights, and Fraser’s script was not utilized in the final movie.

Final production

The enduring popularity of the novel and the Shōgun television series maintained interest in adapting Tai Pan. By late 1983, producer Dino De Laurentiis obtained the rights and collaborated with Orion Pictures. Sean Connery declined to take on the lead role.

Directed by Daryl Duke, the film featured Bryan Brown, who had previously worked with Duke on The Thorn Birds.

This production marked the first English-language feature filmed in China, although it encountered considerable difficulties due to bureaucratic obstacles. De Laurentiis later reflected that shooting in China had been a significant error.

Reception

Critical response to the film was largely negative. Walter Goodman of The New York Times described Tai-Pan as "absurd – but on a grand scale," emphasizing its over-the-top components such as "Bearded Brutes! Busty Belles! Bloody Blades! Exotic Settings!" Roger Ebert likened it to vintage movie posters exaggerating action sequences and remarked that Joan Collins could have portrayed all female characters. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times labeled the film "consistently and utterly terrible," exemplifying how not to adapt a historical adventure-romance. Lead actress Chen received nominations for two Golden Raspberry Award categories: Worst Actress and Worst New Star.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Tai-Pan holds a 13% approval rating based on seven critiques.

Box office performance

The movie failed to achieve commercial success.

Author James Clavell voiced his dissatisfaction with the adaptation, noting he had not viewed it and expressing hopes to reclaim rights in order to develop a mini-series instead.