Will James Wan’s first film in three years unite Keanu Reeves and Don Lee?
Two action titans could join forces for a genre-bending spectacle — and the pairing you’re hoping for might actually happen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Keanu Reeves is in negotiations to headline a new take on The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil at Paramount, with South Korean star Don Lee returning to the role he originated. Horror hitmaker James Wan is reportedly developing the project and is being eyed to direct, which would mark his first feature in the chair since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The reimagining draws from the 2019 Korean thriller ’s hook: a crime boss and a detective forge an uneasy alliance to hunt a serial killer after the gangster survives an attack. Lee (also known as Ma Dong-seok, seen in Marvel ’s Eternals) is set to reprise the gangster; Reeves’ role hasn’t been disclosed.
Sylvester Stallone is on board as a producer of the remake.
Behind the camera
Wan has spent the past couple of years producing horror hits like Saw X, The Nun II, and Insidious: The Red Door while steering Atomic Monster’s merger with Blumhouse. If he steps in to direct, it ’s a pivot back to hard-edged action- thriller terrain with a major Hollywood pairing in Reeves and Lee.
The producing roster is already stacked. In addition to Lee’s Big Punch Global, the film is being shepherded by longtime action heavyweights and key partners:
- Balboa Productions — Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller
- B&C Group — Chris S. Lee
- BA Entertainment — Jang Won-seok (CEO)
- Lorenzo di Bonaventura — joining the producing team
Why this title matters
The 2019 original debuted in the Cannes Film Festival’s Midnight Screenings, where its mash-up of gangland intrigue and serial-killer suspense found an international audience. It also cemented Don Lee as a force: burly menace with unexpected heart, a persona he later carried into Marvel’s Eternals.
Paramount’s version puts that combustible odd-couple setup into the hands of a Hollywood action icon and a filmmaker known for precision-engineered set pieces. Paramount Pictures has not announced a start date or release window, and deals for the creative team are still being finalized.