“Big Trouble in Little China” (ゴースト・ハンターズ), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1986, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) H268A

This is an original Japanese B2 movie poster printed in 1986 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Big Trouble in Little China — released in Japan under the title Ghost Hunters (ゴースト・ハンターズ). This is the original Japanese theatrical design, using the Japanese release title prominently across the lower section.

Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 American fantasy action-comedy film directed and co-scored by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, and James Hong. The film follows truck driver Jack Burton, who becomes caught up in a supernatural battle beneath San Francisco’s Chinatown after helping his friend Wang Chi rescue his fiancée from the ancient sorcerer David Lo Pan.

Although not a major box-office success on initial release, the film has since become one of Carpenter’s most beloved cult works, admired for its mixture of martial arts, fantasy, monster effects, action-comedy, and 1980s genre spectacle. Its Japanese campaign leaned heavily into that energy, presenting the film as a chaotic “labyrinth adventure” packed with action, monsters, ghosts, kung fu, comedy, romance, and SFX.

The poster design is a superb example of 1980s Japanese genre marketing, with a densely layered montage featuring Jack Burton, Gracie Law, Wang Chi, Lo Pan, monsters, lightning effects, the Golden Gate Bridge, and supernatural Chinatown imagery. The bold Japanese headline reads:

おもしろラビリンス（迷路）アドベンチャー大作！
(“A great labyrinth adventure entertainment!”)

At the top, the poster lists the film’s genre ingredients as a playful equation:

Action + Adventure + Magic + Ghosts + Monsters + Kung Fu + Comedy + Spectacle + Romance + SFX = Ghost Hunters

This Japanese B2 is far more visually exuberant than many Western campaign designs and is especially desirable for collectors of John Carpenter, 1980s cult cinema, and Japanese genre poster art.

Condition
Excellent (close to near mint). Please review the photos; they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 39 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.

ZA816, ZA847