The Quest (1996 film)

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.

The Quest premiered in Turkey on April 19, 1996, and was released in the United States on April 26, 1996. It was the last of a five-picture deal between Van Damme and Universal, 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. The film, though it under-performed domestically at the box-office, did better internationally and was a commercial success.