James Wan hasn’t directed a feature since 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but that’s about to change in a big way. THR reports Wan will direct an English-language remake of South Korean crime flick The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil. One of the film’s original stars, Ma Dong-seok aka Don Lee, will return to star. The film is set up at Paramount, which has been scooping up loads of big-name talent lately including Dan Trachtenberg and the Duffer Brothers.
Released in 2019, The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil follows a cop and a gangster who must join forces to stop a serial killer. Each has their own reasons for teaming up, but they face blowback from their many enemies.
Wan’s version will have a script by Shay Hatten, based on an original draft by LA Confidential writer Brian Helgeland, who remains aboard as an exec-producer. Hatten is best known for his work on the John Wick movies, as well as Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon and Army of the Dead. His work is the epitome of a mixed bag. Hopefully, his script for Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie will be up to snuff.
Ma Dong-seok is a great get to return, hopefully in the same role as crime boss Jang Dong-soo. The actor has starred in tons of Korean crime movies, and made his Hollywood debut with Marvel’s Eternals, in the role of Gilgamesh. Other great films he’s been part of include The Good, the Bad, the Weird, Train to Busan, Unstoppable, and I’m an unabashed fan of The Roundup trilogy.
