The Killer (2024 film)
The Killer | |
---|---|
![]() Release poster | |
Directed by | John Woo |
Screenplay by |
|
Based on | The Killer by John Woo |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Edited by | Zach Staenberg |
Music by | Marco Beltrami |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Peacock |
Release date |
|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Killer is an upcoming American action thriller film directed by John Woo. It is a remake of Woo's 1989 film. The film stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Omar Sy, Sam Worthington, Diana Silvers, Saïd Taghmaoui and Hugo Diego Garcia.
It is scheduled to be released in the United States by the streaming service Peacock on August 23, 2024.
Cast
- Nathalie Emmanuel as Zee[1]
- Omar Sy[2]
- Sam Worthington
- Diana Silvers
- Saïd Taghmaoui
- Hugo Diego Garcia
- Aurélia Agel
- Grégory Montel
- Kefas Brand as AI Cop 2[3][4][3]
- Eric Cantona [5][6]
- Nicolas Dozol as Parisian [6][7]
- David Clark as Carl Staley[7][8]
- Elie Haddad as Avi [4]
Production
In 1992, American filmmaker Walter Hill and David Giler wrote a screenplay for Tri-Star Pictures titled The Killer that was dated 6 April 1992.[9] The press release for this remake stated the script was written for actors Richard Gere and Denzel Washington.[9] In June 1992, it was announced Walter Hill and Giler were writing a script titled Hong Kong based on The Killer with Hill directing.[10] The producers had difficulty with the relationship between the two main characters in the script as they felt that American audiences would interpret it as a homoerotic one. Producer Terence Chang, who worked with Woo on several productions, suggested to the American producers to have Hong Kong actress Michelle Yeoh play the role of the police officer to resolve any homoerotic reading of the film.[11] A year later, screenwriters Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr. were hired by producers Charles Roven and Robert Cavallo to write a screenplay based on The Killer for Tristar, writing a third draft of the script dated on 23 August 1993 which featured a story of a Caucasian hitman living in Hong Kong. This screenplay moved the focus from the pairing of the hitman and the police detective characters to the characters of a blinded nightclub singer and the hitman.[12]
In October 2007, The Hollywood Reporter announced that a remake of The Killer was announced with Korean-American director John H. Lee directing. The remake would take place in Los Angeles's Koreatown, Chinatown, and South Central. Lee named The Killer as one of his favorite films and said he was excited to make his own version of the film.[13] Lee's version was set to be produced by Woo, and star Jung Woo-sung and shot in 3D.[14] Seven Stars Film Studios was slated to finance the production with a screenplay by Josh Campbell.[15] Sarah Li was initially cast to play the role of the blind singer.[15] Woo spoke about the remake in October 2015, stating that Lee's film was in development for some time and Lee eventually took on other projects.[16] Woo commented in 2015 that he would return to Hollywood after filming Manhunt (2017) in order to make an American adaptation of The Killer.[16] Universal Pictures was announced to be developing the film with a script written by Eran Creevy based on drafts by Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken, with additional contributions by Brian Helgeland.[17] Actress Lupita Nyong'o had been cast for the lead role.[17] Woo said that filming would begin in January 2019.[18] About the decision to flip both the gender and race of the lead, Nyong'o remarked that she "did not see it coming, either", stating that she had received, read and liked the script without having seen the original movie.[19] However, Woo told Deadline in November 2019 that Nyong'o had left the film due to scheduling conflicts as a result of a script rewrite.[20] In May 2022, it was announced that the film would be directed by Woo, produced by Universal, and released exclusively on Peacock.[21] In August 2022, Universal announced that Omar Sy would lead the film as the cop character.[22] In March 2023, Nathalie Emmanuel was cast in the lead role.[23] Woo returned to work on The Killer following a multi-month hiatus on shooting the film in Paris due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[24]
Release
The film is scheduled to be release on Peacock on August 23, 2024.[25]
References
- ^ "The Killer Trailer: Nathalie Emmanuel Is A Deadly Assassin In John Woo's Classic Action Movie Remake". Empire. July 16, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ "The Killer: Omar Sy in John Woo's intense remake - Trailer". www.sortiraparis.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ a b "The Killer: Everything to Know About John Woo's Peacock Action Film". NBC Insider Official Site. August 2, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ a b "Cool Trailer for John Woo's 'The Killer' Remake w/ Nathalie Emmanuel | FirstShowing.net". www.firstshowing.net. July 16, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ The Killer (2024) - IMDb. Retrieved August 4, 2024 – via m.imdb.com.
- ^ a b Mahler, Matt (July 16, 2024). "The Killer Trailer Has John Woo Remaking His Masterpiece 35 Years Later". MovieWeb. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Johar, Vritti (July 18, 2024). "The Killer (2024) Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Plot". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Johar, Vritti (July 18, 2024). "The Killer (2024) Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Plot". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Heard (1999), p. 79
- ^ Wells, Jeffrey (June 19, 1992). "Orient Excess". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ^ Heard (1999), p. 80
- ^ Heard (1999), p. 81
- ^ Landreth, Jonathan (October 8, 2007). "Woo's "Killer" gets a new U.S. contract". Reuters. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ^ "John Woo's 'The Killer' to get English-language remake". The Independent. London. February 1, 2011. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Cremin, Stephen (May 18, 2012). "Wu backs Woo's Killer". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^ a b Gallagher, Chris (October 26, 2015). "John Woo keeps aim on 'The Killer' remake". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ^ a b McNary, Dave (April 30, 2018). "Lupita Nyong'o to Star in 'The Killer' Remake With John Woo Directing". Variety. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Keeley, Pete (August 24, 2018). "'Hard Target' at 25: John Woo on Fighting for Respect in Hollywood". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^ Obenson, Tambay (December 14, 2018). "Lupita Nyong'o Is at the Height of Her Powers, Even Before John Woo's Remake of 'The Killer'". Indie Wire. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (November 16, 2019). "John Woo Says Lupita Nyong'o No Longer Attached To 'The Killer' Remake, Talks 'Face/Off' Reboot, Chimes In On Superhero Movie Debate". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ Petski, Denise (May 2, 2022). "Original Films From LeBron James, Will Packer & John Woo To Premiere On Peacock In 2023". Deadline. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (August 4, 2022). "'Lupin's Omar Sy to Lead John Woo's Reimagining of 'The Killer' for Peacock". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (March 14, 2023). "'Game of Thrones' Nathalie Emmanuel to Co-Star Opposite Omar Sy in 'The Killer' for Universal, Peacock and John Woo". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Bramesco, Charles (November 23, 2023). "The Return of John Woo: 'I Still Know What I'm Doing'". The Guardian. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ Vejvoda, Jim (June 21, 2024). "The Killer: Exclusive First Look at John Woo and Peacock's Reimagining of the Action Classic". IGN. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
Sources
- Heard, Christopher (1999). Ten Thousand Bullets: The Cinematic Journey of John Woo. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 0-385-25731-7.
External links
- The Killer at IMDb
- 2024 films
- Upcoming films
- 2024 action thriller films
- 2020s American films
- 2020s English-language films
- Action film remakes
- American action thriller films
- American remakes of Hong Kong films
- Atlas Entertainment films
- Films affected by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike
- Films directed by John Woo
- Films produced by Charles Roven
- Films scored by Marco Beltrami
- Films set in Paris
- Films shot in Paris
- Films with screenplays by Brian Helgeland
- Peacock (streaming service) original films
- Thriller film remakes
- Universal Pictures films
- Upcoming English-language films