James Wan’s first film since Aquaman 2 will star Keanu Reeves and Don Lee
James Wan will return with a remake of The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil — and a very familiar action star is in talks to front it.
Keanu Reeves is not slowing down any time soon. After more than a decade of churning out a film a year — and turning John Wick into a blockbuster machine — he’s got another bullet in the chamber: a fresh action flick called The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil. If that title rings a bell, that’s because it’s a remake, or “reimagining” if you want to get fancy, of a wildly well-received South Korean crime thriller from 2019.
The original Gangster, Cop, Devil hit Cannes in 2019, winning over critics and bagging a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score.
The big scoop is, Reeves is set to star opposite Don Lee, who played the gangster in the original film. In a move that’s quite rare for these Hollywood remakes, Lee isn’t just showing up for the pay cheque — he’s back in the exact same role, only this time slugging it out in English and presumably facing off with Reeves. You might know Lee from Train to Busan or his short-but-memorable stint in Marvel’s Eternals. He’s also got producer duties for this version, joined by the likes of Sylvester Stallone, D. Matt Geller, Chris S. Lee, Jang Won-seok, and Lorenzo di Bonaventura.
The Talent Involved
The other eyebrow-raiser here is that James Wan is directing. Wan hasn’t helmed a feature since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom back in 2023 — which, frankly, was the swan song for the DCEU before James Gunn and Peter Safran hit the big red reset button at DC Studios. The first Aquaman was a juggernaut; the sequel, not so much. That gap between films probably didn’t help things. Now, with Wan at the helm for this crime saga, expectations are ticking up — especially given his knack for gleeful, over-the-top action.
Besides this, Wan’s other major job lately has been executive producing Amazon’s upcoming Robinson Crusoe-in-Detroit project (read: RoboCop), with Dan Stevens set to fit the metal suit. Wan plans to direct a few episodes of that series himself, but Gangster, Cop, Devil is officially his next big-screen outing.
The New Version: Writers and Production
On script duty for the latest go-round is Eric Pearson, whose recent Marvel work (knocking drafts of Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four: First Steps into shape) probably makes sense if you’re hiring him to write action with a tongue in its cheek. Earlier drafts came from Shay Hatten (think Resident Evil) and Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential), so that’s a mix of styles right there.
This remake brings Don Lee back to his original role and pairs him with Reeves, under James Wan’s direction.
Given that Reeves is still “in negotiations,” don’t expect production to kick off any time soon. There’s no concrete release date, and there’ll likely be a bit of a wait before they start announcing more cast or filming details. But if it lands — and with this lot, you’d hope it does — there’s every chance for a serious, balletic beat-down in the spirit of the original… only with a distinctly Hollywood punch.
- Keanu Reeves: Likely lead role ("Cop" or "Devil" not confirmed)
- Don Lee: Returning as the titular "Gangster" (his original character)
- James Wan: Director
- Eric Pearson: Latest script draft
- Producers: Don Lee, Sylvester Stallone, D. Matt Geller, Chris S. Lee, Jang Won-seok, Lorenzo di Bonaventura