Keanu Reeves is in early negotiations to lead the English-language remake of "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil," with James Wan in discussions to direct, according to exclusive reporting. The project would pair one of Hollywood's most enduring action stars with one of its most commercially reliable horror and genre filmmakers, an combination likely to draw immediate interest from buyers and audiences alike.
The original film, released in 2019, is a Korean action-crime thriller running 110 minutes. It follows crime boss Jang Dong-su, who survives a savage attack by a sadistic serial killer and is left deeply humiliated by the experience. Determined to track down the murderer known as K, Jang forms an uncomfortable partnership with Jung Tae-seok, a relentless and incorruptible detective whose investigations routinely interfere with Jang's illegal operations. Their goals diverge sharply: Jang wants K dead, while Jung is committed to bringing the killer to justice. The two strike a deal in which whoever finds K first will determine his fate, setting off a hunt that steadily erodes the line between criminality and law enforcement.
Directed by Lee Won-tae, the original starred Don Lee as Jang Dong-su, Kim Moo-yul as Jung Tae-suk, Kim Sung-kyu as Kang Gyeong-ho, Heo Dong-won as Choi Moon-sik, Yoo Jae-myung as Heo Sang-do, Lee Seo-hwan as Choi Jeong-gyu, Oh Hee-jun as Kim Dong-chul and Kim Gyu-ri as Cha Seo-jin. It holds a TMDb rating of 7.894 out of 10, a strong score that reflects the affection genre fans have for the material.
A Star and a Filmmaker With Proven Genre Credentials
Reeves remains one of the most recognizable names in action cinema, and his involvement would give the remake a marquee anchor. Wan has built a reputation across horror and large-scale genre filmmaking, and a grounded crime thriller with brutal stakes would represent a shift in register for him while still playing to his strengths in tension and pacing. Neither deal is closed, and the talks are described as preliminary, meaning the package could still change shape before any production commitments are finalized. No start date, distributor or additional casting has been confirmed.
The premise offers a natural showcase for a star of Reeves' profile. Jang is a powerful man brought low by a single act of violence, forced into a partnership with the one person he would normally avoid. The role demands both menace and vulnerability, and the film's central bargain gives the two leads a charged, adversarial dynamic that drives nearly every scene. For a filmmaker, the material offers a contained, character-driven hunt rather than a sprawling spectacle, which may explain the appeal for Wan as much as the chance to work with Reeves.
Why the Remake Makes Sense Now
The original arrived in 2019 and built a loyal following among international genre audiences, aided by its tight runtime and its unusually effective pairing of a gangster and a detective as reluctant allies. That structure travels well across languages, since the core conflict rests on character and motive rather than local specifics. An English-language version would aim to bring the same story to a wider audience while retaining the moral ambiguity that made the first film distinctive.
The film is classified as an action, crime and thriller title, and any remake would be expected to preserve that tonal mix. The original's ending hinges on the deal between Jang and Jung, and the tension between private vengeance and public justice is the engine of the story rather than a backdrop. That thematic spine is likely to survive translation, since it does not depend on setting.
For Hollywood, the announcement comes at a moment when studios continue to look toward proven international properties for material with built-in suspense and clear star vehicles. A package pairing Reeves and Wan would be among the more high-profile of those efforts. Still, early talks are exactly that, and the industry has seen many such conversations end without a green light. Until deals are signed, the project remains a promising possibility rather than a scheduled film.
Representatives for Reeves and Wan have not commented publicly on the negotiations. Hollywood Buzz News will continue to follow the project as it develops.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
