Update: Omar Sy will lead the film, Deadline reports.
After two decades of working back in his native country of China, action master John Woo’s return to Hollywood filmmaking has been solidified. He’s currently shooting Silent Night, a dialogue-free actioner starring Joel Kinnaman, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Kid Cudi. Now, one of his projects in development for the last few years has been given a green light.
Back in 2018, it was announced that the director would be reimagining his 1989 action classic The Killer, which starred Chow Yun-fat as an assassin who accidentally blinds a singer and he goes on one last mission to secure the funds for an operation to restore her sight. While Lupita Nyong’o was attached, she had to drop out due to scheduling issues but now the project has been revived.
In a press release, it’s confirmed Woo will next direct the project, though no casting has been confirmed yet. However, a New York Times profile confirms a 2023 release is scheduled, which means production will get off the ground fairly quickly. “The biggest reason why I wanted to do this movie again because [I wanted] ‘the killer’ to be a woman — that’s exciting to me,” Woo said a few years ago. “It will make the movie have a different look.”
As we await more details, check out the trailer for the original film below and read our interview with the director here.