James Wan to Direct English-Language ‘The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil’ Remake for Paramount

South Korean film remakes have been a constant trend in Hollywood, though their results often vary between hits and misses. Some adaptations have worked well, such as Bugonia, while others have failed to match the popularity of their originals—most notably Spike Lee’s remake of Oldboy.

Now, filmmaker James Wan, the mastermind behind the popular horror franchises The Conjuring and Saw, is set to produce and direct an English-language adaptation of Lee Won-tae’s crime thriller The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil.

The original film was a crowd-pleasing hit when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. It stars Ma Dong-seok as a police officer who reluctantly teams up with a gangster, played by Kim Mu-yeol, to track down a serial killer. Their conflicting motives spark a tense cat-and-mouse game filled with double crosses, earning the film widespread praise from audiences worldwide. Paramount Pictures acquired the remake rights to the film in 2022. The screenplay for the new adaptation is being written by Shay Hatten—known for John Wick and Rebel Moon—based on an initial draft by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential).

While there has been no official confirmation about the cast, reports suggest that Ma Dong-seok from the original film may reprise his role in the remake. In recent years, Wan has largely focused on producing, lending his name to several upcoming projects, including Kane Parsons’ Backrooms for A24, Lee Cronin’s remake of The Mummy, and a new installment in the Paranormal Activity franchise for Paramount Pictures.

This upcoming remake will mark Wan’s return to directing after his 2023 DC sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Wan also holds the rare distinction of directing two films that have each crossed $1 billion at the global box office—Furious 7 and Aquaman.

This article is written by Yoga Adithya, an intern at Deccan Chronicle.