Keanu Reeves is in talks for the lead role in James Wan's remake of the South Korean action film The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil.
Paramount Pictures is in talks with the actor for the lead role in the Hollywood remake of the South Korean action film from 2019 The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil. The project will be directed by James Wan — a man who knows how to turn tension into something almost physical.
The original film told the story of a forced alliance. A police officer and a crime boss, eternal enemies, suddenly find themselves on the same side of the barricades. Their common goal is to catch a serial killer who operates too cleverly and too cruelly. Each pursues his own interests, each is ready at any moment to stick a knife in his partner's back. And it is precisely this fragile, dangerous arrangement that makes the story come alive.
In the new version, Don Lee (Ma Dong-seok) will return to the role of the gangster that he played in the original. Keanu Reeves is expected to appear alongside him. If the talks conclude successfully, we will see a collision of two very different acting energies: Reeves's cold, almost mystical power and Don Lee's rough, earthy might.
James Wan has not made a feature film since Aquaman for a long time. Now he is taking on a story where what matters is not only chases and shootouts but also psychological play, distrust, and double motives. Wan knows how to work with atmosphere — with shadows, with pauses, with the feeling that danger is always somewhere nearby. In combination with Reeves, who over the years of John Wick has honed the image of a man capable of staying calm even in hell, this could turn out especially powerful.
The project is gathering an impressive team around itself. Among the producers are Wan himself, Don Lee, Sylvester Stallone and others. The screenplay passed through several hands before acquiring its present form. All of this suggests that the studio is taking the material seriously.
Keanu Reeves may once again find himself at the center of a story where law and crime are intertwined so tightly that it is already impossible to understand who the real devil here is. And if the talks end well, viewers will get not just a remake but a new round of a dangerous game — with new faces, but with all the same ruthless logic of the street.
