Carl Weathers came up with the idea for the film on the set of Predator (1987), during conversations with producer Joel Silver about their shared love of 1970s blaxploitation films. The title was born after Weathers spoke to an Australian crew member about the project. To indicate his interest in working on the film, the crew member said, "I'm in like Action Jackson." Predator costars Bill Duke and Sonny Landham also appear in this film.
The studio hoped to turn the film into a franchise, but it never happened. Dangerous Passion (1990), a totally unrelated film which also starred Carl Weathers, was re-titled 'Action Jackson 2' in some countries.
According to his stolen police ID, Jericho's date of birth is 3/13/38. Which would make him about 50. Carl Weathers was born in 1948, and only 39 when filming started.
Both Carl Weathers and Vanity appeared in the music video for this film's theme song, "He Turned Me Out," by The Pointer Sisters. The clip featured the two playing pool in a bar, with Vanity beating Carl handily, as the Pointers sang around them.
The film has become a cult hit. It was a box office success, despite mixed reviews from critics. A planned sequel was ultimately scrapped after the film company sold the rights to Sony Pictures, which later sold its library to Warner Bros., where the plans languished.
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