Keanu Reeves in Talks for English-Language Remake of Korean Crime Thriller 'The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil'

Keanu Reeves may have one last outing as John Wick on his upcoming slate of films, but he's now in talks for a remake of one of the most intriguing thrillers to come out of South Korea in the past decade. What's more, he's teaming up with one of the original movie's stars and a blockbuster director.

Reeves has been riding high since the release of the first John Wick film in 2014; the hitman thriller kept Reeves in the top tier of action stars as he reprised the role in three sequels and the spin-off Ballerina. This year, he played action star Reef Hawk in the black comedy film Outcome, and is next slated to star in the satirical The Entertainment System Is Down, from Triangle of Sadness director Ruben Östlund. He's also signed on to the action thriller Shiver, from Deadpool director Tim Miller.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Reeves is in talks to star in Paramount's English-language remake of the Korean crime thriller The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, about two men from opposite sides of the law who team up to take down a serial murderer. Train to Busan's Don Lee, alias Ma Dong-seok, will co-star in the film as the gangster of the title, the role he played in the original film. Reeves will presumably play one of the other title roles; given his tendency towards heroic roles, and the poor reception to The Watcher, his previous serial killer role, there's a good chance he's playing the cop. The movie will be directed by James Wan, making it his first feature as director since 2023's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The project has been in development for some time, and previous drafts of the script were penned by Shay Hatten (Resident Evil) and Brian Helgeland (Mystic River); the current draft is by Fantastic Four: First Steps' Eric Pearson.

What Is 'The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil'?

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil centers around Jang Dong-soo (Lee), a gangster who narrowly survives an attack by a serial killer. He finds himself in league with cop Jung Tae-suk (Kim Mu-yeol, Space Sweepers); while Jang wants his revenge on the killer, the cop wants him brought to justice legally so he can move up the ranks. Written and directed by Lee Won-tae (The Devil's Deal), The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil earned $25 million USD at the box office, and holds a 95% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.