The Quest (1996 film)

For the German animated short film, see Quest (1996 film).
The Quest
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJean-Claude Van Damme
Written bySteven Klein
Paul Mones
Story byFrank Dux
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Produced byMoshe Diamant
Starring
CinematographyDavid Gribble
Edited byJohn F. Link
William J. Meshover
Music byRandy Edelman
Distributed byUniversal Pictures (U.S. and U.K.)
MDP Worldwide (International)
Release dates
  • April 19, 1996 (1996-04-19) (Turkey)
  • April 26, 1996 (1996-04-26) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetDebated
(see § Production)
Box office$57.4 million

The Quest is a 1996 American martial arts adventure film starring and directed by Jean-Claude Van Damme, in his directorial debut. It co-stars Roger Moore, James Remar and Janet Gunn. The plot, set in 1925, follows New York thief Chris Dubois (Van Damme) who is sold into slavery by Lord Edgar Dobbs (Moore) and, after receiving Muay Thai training in Siam, enters an ancestral martial arts tournament in Tibet to earn back his freedom.[1]

The Quest premiered in Turkey on April 19, 1996, and was released in the United States on April 26, 1996.[2] It was the last of a five-picture deal between Van Damme and Universal,[3] and the actor continued his career at Columbia. Hyped as Van Damme's be-all end-all martial arts film, it had a complex development and was the subject of several grievances by the star's former friend, Frank Dux. The latter succeeded in obtaining a story credit from the Writers Guild of America, but failed to prove in a court of law that his contributions had been improperly compensated.[4][5] The film, though it under-performed domestically at the box-office, did better internationally and was a commercial success.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ Thomas, Kevin (April 26, 1996). "A Knockout for Director Van Damme". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  2. ^ Allen, Terence; Coleman, Jim (June 1996). "Van Damme's Quest for Success". Black Belt. Vol. 34, no. 6. Santa Clarita: Rainbow Publications. pp. 38–40, 42, 120.
  3. ^ Danna, Corey (23 July 2022). "The Quest". Sheldon Lettich: From Vietnam to Van Damme. Orlando: Bear Manor. pp. 198–205. ISBN 978-1629339887.
  4. ^ "Van Damme Cleared in Suit Over 'Quest'". The Los Angeles Times. 1998-11-11. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  5. ^ "Van Damme Victor in Clash". People. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
  6. ^ "Jean-Claude van Damme and Roger Moore are a Terrific Twosome in van Damme's 1996 Directorial Debut the Quest". 23 May 2022.
  7. ^ "The Number One Movie in America: Maximum Risk".
  8. ^ "Jean-Claude van Damme Ashamed of '90s Hit Sitcom Role". 30 October 2023.