At almost any hour, any day on the internet, the topic of remakes, reboots, sequels and the like are being debated. The merits thereof concerning any new film project announced are torn asunder. A funny element to all this is that virtually all of film history has featured this trend. Hop onto wikipedia and scan the titles that have been redone and the years they were made. You’re likely to be rather surprised. Even rarer, or more intriguing (depending on your interest), are the cases where these remakes are done by the original director. That short list is about to get the best of additions, in the form of the maestro of 90’s action films himself: John Woo.
On Monday an interesting piece of news came over the wire. Legendary action helmer John Woo was planning a return trip to the world of The Killer, the 1989 smash hit that helped gain him international acclaim. Universal Pictures has teamed with Woo’s Better Tomorrow Films and eOne to fast track the remake. The original film follows a hit man, who vows to retire after one last job, using his earnings to pay for the eye operation of a woman he blinded on his previous job. It’s also know for an absolutely wild climactic gun battle that takes place in a church undergoing renovations.
Word is that Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave) is in negotiations to play the lead assassin role, which was originated by Chow Yun Fat. The part would further bolster the tear Nyong’o has been on, after being featured in the last 2 Star Wars movies, as well as co-starring in Black Panther. She showed a great deal of physicality in the latter and seems perfectly primed to headline her own major motion picture.
Another interesting piece buried in the release concerns the script for the film. While originally written by 10 Cloverfield Lane‘s Josh Campbell & Matt Stuecken and re-written by Eran Creevy, Oscar winner Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) has been tapped to give things a polished once-over, before filming starts.
No word on who else is being pursued to co-star, or if any of the other roles will also be gender-swapped, but you can expect us to inform you when that’s announced! Since all companies involved are looking to fast-track production, there’s sure to be a bevy of news quite soon. Make sure to create a google alert for “massive dove rentals”, just in case, for the latest updates.
