Born American grossed $3.4 million in the US, but Harlin still led a hard life in Hollywood, as he endured huge debts due to the complex nature of the film's contract.

Things took a turn for the better when, in 1988, producer Irwin Yablans offered him the script of Prison, a horror film shot in the Old State Prison in Wyoming. It helped Harlin not only to master the directorial procedures in Hollywood but also to improve his English.

In the same year, he landed the directors chair for A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, which became the highest-grossing film in the series until the 2003 release of Freddy vs. Jason.

The success earned him a foothold in Hollywood, bringing bigger opportunities, such as a chance to direct Alien 3, although he ended up quitting the project over creative differences.

Harlin's cache continued to rise, however, as he found himself working with Hollywood stars like Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2 and Samuel Jackson and Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight.

In 2014, Harlin directed the Jackie Chan action flick, Skiptrace, for which he traveled across half of China with around 400 Chinese crew members.

It became a turning point for Harlin, who decided to shift his focus to China, where he now resides and has founded his own company.

"The film industry is getting smaller and smaller in Hollywood," he observes. "The studios' films are mostly superhero films and very little else.

"In China, the film industry is growing, and I'm really excited to be part of it."

He also hopes his from-striving-to-thriving story will encourage emerging Chinese filmmakers.

"Don't give up. Follow your heart and keep going," the emotional filmmaker concludes.

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