Keanu Reeves in talks to join James Wan’s The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil
The Hollywood Reporter says Reeves is negotiating to star alongside Don Lee in Paramount’s reimagining of the 2019 Korean crime thriller.
Keanu Reeves is in negotiations to star in Paramount Pictures’ reimagining of the 2019 Korean crime thriller The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, The Hollywood Reporter reported on October 20. He would join Don Lee, who starred in the original and is returning to his role. The report describes talks, not a completed casting deal.
James Wan is set to direct the new film and produce it through his Blumhouse-Atomic Monster banner, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It would be his first feature as director since 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The project brings together the original film’s star and a new prospective lead under Wan’s direction.
How the new film draws on the 2019 original
The original The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil follows a police officer and a crime boss who reluctantly work together to track a serial killer. Their different motives drive a story of double-crosses and conflict between police and criminal gangs, The Hollywood Reporter said. The film screened in the Midnight Screening section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
Lee’s return connects the Paramount project directly to that film. The Hollywood Reporter describes the new version as a reimagining; its report does not specify how closely the new story will follow the original. Reeves’s prospective part has not been identified, so his place in the police officer and crime boss pairing remains unclear.
Who is writing and producing Paramount’s film
Eric Pearson wrote the latest script, building on earlier drafts by Shay Hatten and Brian Helgeland, The Hollywood Reporter said. Pearson’s recent credits cited by the outlet include Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four: First Steps. The successive drafts show that several writers have worked on the project, though the report gives no account of what changed between their versions.
The producing roster includes Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Lee through Big Punch Global. Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller are producing through Balboa Productions, alongside Chris Lee of B&C Group, Jang Won-seok of BA Entertainment and Lorenzo di Bonaventura, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Wan is also producing through Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.
For Reeves, the reported talks follow his starring role in Outcome, the Jonah Hill-directed dramedy that debuted on Apple TV in April. He is also voicing Shadow in Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 4, which the studio has scheduled for March 19, 2027. Paramount has not announced a production or release date for The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil.
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Sources and context
- Keanu Reeves in Talks to Star in James Wan’s ‘The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil’ (Exclusive)The Hollywood Reporter
- The Gangster, the Cop, the DevilWikipedia
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.