Legendary action director John Woo is set to direct a remake of his own 1989 film The Killer for streaming service Peacock. The project is a part of an exclusive deal with the platform.
Woo’s original film was in Cantonese, and was one of the high-octane, visually amazing genre films that made him a cult director and eventually got him to Hollywood. It revolves around an assassin on his last job, where he accidentally blinds a nightclub singer. After the fateful incident, he agrees to assassinate a crime boss, but has to evade both the police and a powerful crime syndicate.
The original film starred Chow Yun-fat, Sally Yeh, and Danny Lee. A remake of The Killer has been discussed for some time, with Lupita Nyong’o even signing on to star in a gender-swapped version back in 2018. But that incarnation fell through. There’s no casting details yet for this version.
Kelly Campbell, President, Peacock and Direct-to-Consumer and International, NBCUniversal, said in a statement:
“We know people join Peacock to watch movies, so we are constantly adding more to serve fans. Together with the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, we are excited to deliver fresh, exclusive, original films next year to our customers in addition to the legendary Universal Pictures blockbuster films and beloved franchises streaming now.”
The Killer was one of Woo’s late 80s/early 90s acclaimed action films along with A Better Tomorrow, Bullet In The Head, and Hard Boiled, winning the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director. Once he hit Hollywood he made similarly memorable films such as Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II.
Since 2003’s Paycheck, all his films have been made in China or Hong Kong, with his latest being 2017’s Manhunt. But he is currently working on Silent Night, which will star Kid Cudi and Joel Kinnaman. Perhaps this is the beginning of a Hollywood comeback for Woo, even though it looks like his latest output will be straight-to-streaming.
There’s no word yet on further details regarding The Killer, but the original film is out there to watch for anyone in the mood for some impressive action cinema.
#Peace.Love.TheKiller
