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Thread: The Killer remake?

  1. #1
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    The Killer remake?

    Will this generate as much hating as the Karate Kid remake? We can only hope.
    Woo's "Killer" gets a new U.S. contract
    Mon Oct 8, 2007 3:03pm EDT
    By Jonathan Landreth

    BUSAN, South Korea (Hollywood Reporter) - Action director John Woo's 1989 Hong Kong classic "The Killer" will be remade in Los Angeles with a Korean star replacing Chow Yun-fat as the hard-boiled hit man.

    Director John H. Lee, a Korean-American, will move the action through L.A.'s Koreatown, Chinatown and South Central, said Woo's longtime producer and partner at Lion Rock Prods., Terence Chang.

    "The actor has to be Korean in this version, but also, L.A. is a character in the film," Chang said in an interview on the opening day of the four-day Asian Film Market.

    "In John's original version, it doesn't really matter where the film is set, except that Hong Kong has this dragon boat festival which adds a bit of local flavor. In this remake, we will use the geography of L.A. to move the story forward."

    Chang said a script was being worked on, but it was too early to reveal other details.

    Director Lee told The Hollywood Reporter that he was excited about working on the remake of one of his "favorite films of all time."

    "I ask myself why they chose me and whether I can top it," Lee said from Seoul on Monday. "But then I realize it's not about making it better. It's about making my own version. My strength is dealing with human emotions, austerity and elegance."

    The remake of "The Killer" will be the latest in a string of Asian films to cross the Pacific to Hollywood, where Martin Scorsese earlier this year won the best director Oscar for "The Departed," a remake of the Hong Kong gangster film "Infernal Affairs."
    Gene Ching
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  2. #2
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    considering

    that this film was suose to be remade back in 91 i'm glad see its getting its do. only thing is wish it could've been made with some american actors. i mean my casting would be:

    johnny depp as chow yun fats character

    either brad pitt or don cheadle as the cop

    haley berry as the lounge singer (if you saw le samourai you'd know why)

    morgan freeman as the manager/retied hitman.

    christopher walken or al pacino as the mob boss.

    and i would get a great director to helm it. maybe oliver stone or someone of that caleber

    the reason why departed worked so well wasn't just the script the but also the cast and ofcourse the director. the question you gotta ask yourself is that if itdidn't have an all star cast and was handled by lets say brett ratner would it had been as good.

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    Ratner directing the Departed...

    Good one, Doug. I can't get this image out of my head now - DiCaprio and Damon dancing down the street to War.

    I'm such a fan of the Woo-Chow collabs that it will be hard for me to step outside of the originals to view the remakes. Strangely, I don't have that problem with Karate Kid. I guess I'm not as attached to that film.
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    french influence

    well its again a full circle thing because the killer is a remake of a remake of an original film, and its three defferent countries:

    movie: this gun for hire

    year:1942

    country: america

    director:Frank tuttle

    hitman: alan ladd

    which influenced:

    Movie: Le samourai

    year:1967

    country: France

    director: jean perrie melville

    hitman:aln delon

    which heavily influenced

    movie: the killer

    year:1989

    director: john woo

    hitman: chow yun fat

    and now you have this korean/american remake. so i won't juge it until i see it but i hope its not just degraded to an action film cause the killer was mor then that. it was like a moving painting.another good pick for the killer woul denzel washington if you seen man on fire you know that he would be good for this.

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    Hmm I suppose this could be a success though I kinda feel the same way as Gene in that I don't really care so much about the casting of the Karate Kid remake as I do for this one. Probably because The Killer was the 1st Woo movie I remember blowing me away and so it will always have that sentimental appeal. I think a large part of why I liked it was the charisma of Chow Yun Fat -- that can be a hard thing to replace. I'm not saying there aren't other actors capable of doing justice to the role, but the "Fat Man" really defined that role with all of the subtle emotions and facial expressions and other somewhat intangible factors that define an outstanding acting performance.

    That's a pretty elite "dream" cast you listed Doug -- the movie would have to have a pretty hefty budget to support that much star power. Then again, if you got an A-list director and given the success of the Departed, it might be feasible. However, it doesn't sound like it's going to be on anywhere near the same scale.
    I wonder if the unnamed Korean actor playing the lead will be someone already established or a fresh face.

    It's a great movie to reimagine, but somehow I don't see it being anywhere near as good as the original. Guess we'll have to wait to see more details and of course to watch it before rendering a final judgment.
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  6. #6
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    well i checked out some of this korean directors work and i gotta say i'm not that impressed. and using an unknown korean actor in the american market is not going to work. well the departed had a 90 million dollar budget and they had people who were wel known actors take small roles just o work with marty. i wish brian de palma would direct this film.

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    i have to watch the killer agian. i remember liking hard boiled much more.
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    I totally loved Hard Boiled more...

    ...how can any action film fan even question Hard Boiled's single shot finale? That was Woo/Chow at their finest. However I have a soft spot for the Killer too, mostly because the final scene (*SPOILER*) the two characters crawling through the fog and just missing each other, that was so sappy and overblown that it was pure and absolute genius. It's exactly what I love in those classic John Woo's. Sheer cinematic poetry overdone to a campy crisp.

    Good point about Le Samourai, Doug. I totally forgot about that. I saw that after I saw Ghost Dog and enjoyed it as a source point film. I don't think I've seen This Gun For Hire. Is it good? Anyone?
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    this gun for hire= masterpeice

    plot:

    Hit man Philip Raven, who's kind to children and cats, kills a blackmailer and is paid off by traitor Willard Gates in "hot" money. Meanwhile, pert entertainer Ellen Graham, girlfriend of police Lieut. Crane (who's after Raven) is enlisted by a Senate committee to help investigate Gates. Raven, seeking Gates for revenge, meets Ellen on the train; their relationship gradually evolves from that of killer and potential victim to an uneasy alliance against a common enemy.

    this gun for hire is classic film noir booze broads and bullets. when you watch this you can see many elemants of modern day action films, and many tarrintino flicks as well. the acting is first rate, i watchd this after seeing le samourai the critireon edition becuse in one of the interviews with mellville he mentione this film as his source for the film. i enjoyed this film but not much other from frank tuttle who is a hit ad miss director. you should check it out, perfect for a sunday afternoon, when your doing nothing but scratching your balls on the couch waiting or the next gaem to come on.

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    scratching your balls on the couch

    Well, alright. I'll look for it next time I'm a'rentin... Such a positive review.
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    Of the Woo/Choy Yun-Fat films, I liked A Better Tomorrow and Hard Boiled best. I saw The Killer after much anticipation, but for whatever reason just wasn't as impressed as everyone I'd heard about it from. Still, I don't know how good a remake could be; I suppose we won't know until/if it comes out.

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    3d

    This would be even better if they could spray water at the audience like in those Disneyland 3D experiences to simulate blood splatter. It would have to be warm water.
    John Woo Remaking 'The Killer' In 3-D
    Posted 2/1/11 2:15 pm ET by Josh Wigler in News

    Few filmmakers know their way around an action movie like John Woo, the mastermind director responsible for pictures like "Hard Boiled," "Red Cliff," "Hard Target" and the wonderfully-but-probably-not-intentionally-comical "Face/Off." But many directors would love to emulate Woo, what with his signature two-guns-and-some-doves style.

    Director John H. Lee is going to get that chance, as the filmmaker has been tapped to helm a remake of Woo's classic action flick, "The Killer."

    The 1989 Hong Kong classic starred Chow Yun-Fat as an unstoppably cool-blooded killing machine, and now, over twenty years later, Hollywood is going to do their best to remake the thing — in 3-D, no less!

    Deadline reports that Essential Entertainment and Lion Rock Productions are currently in pre-production on their remake of "The Killer," with Lee directing, Woo producing and Josh Campbell on script duties. South Korean actor Jung Woo-Sung is taking on the role made famous by Yun-Fat, an assassin who risks everything to protect a singer he accidentally blinded — but in order to keep her safe, he has to call on the assistance of an LAPD detective that's trying to catch him.

    "While all my films are special to me, 'The Killer' is truly one of my favorites," Woo said in a statement. "We are thrilled to reinvent it as an English-language film and know it’s in capable hands by the incredible visual style and tender emotion John H. Lee brings to all his films.”

    “John Woo’s 'The Killer' is one of the most influential and classic action films of all-time," added John Fremes, president of worldwide distribution at Essential Entertainment. "The 3D version will no doubt appeal to fans of the original as well as capture a new generation of enthusiasts.”
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    ttt for 2018!

    Woah. What? Wow!

    John Woo Taps Lupita Nyong’o For ‘The Killer’ Redo At Universal
    by Mike Fleming Jr
    April 30, 2018 1:04pm


    REX/Shutterstock

    EXCLUSIVE: John Woo and Universal Pictures are teaming on a new version of his 1989 Hong King crime classic The Killer. It is intended as a star vehicle for Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o. She is negotiating to play the assassin, a role originated by Chow Yun-fat. The studio has the film on a fast track, with Woo directing.


    ASAC

    Eran Creevy (Collide) rewrote the script based on an original draft by Cloverfield Lane‘s Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken, and Brian Helgeland is being brought on to do a production pass. Producing alongside Woo and his A Better Tomorrow Films is eOne’s Mark Gordon and Lori Tilkin. Matt Jackson, Lori Tilkin and Luc Etienne are exec producing with Terence Chang. eOne’s Josh Clay Phillips will also have a producing role and is overseeing the project with Tilkin. The aim is to begin production later this year in France and Germany.


    Film Workshop

    Nyong’o won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years A Slave, followed with two Star Wars films, and she just co-starred in Black Panther. In The Killer, she will play the assassin who puts her own life on the line to save a woman whom she accidentally blinded in her last hit.

    The film is a touchstone picture, one widely emulated for its balletic, stylized violent scenes. The redo will blend espionage with extraordinary stunts to capture the feel of the original. Universal VP Production Sara Scott will oversee for the studio.

    Nyong’o is repped by CAA and Del, Shaw, Moonves. Woo is repped by ICM Partners’ Spencer Baumgarten and Hansen Jacobson. Helgeland is with CAA and Jackoway Tyerman, Creevy with CAA and 42, and Campbell & Stuecken are UTA and Madhouse.
    Gene Ching
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    ttt 4 2019!

    30 years now. wow.

    i need to re-watch this...

    ‘The Killer’ at 30: John Woo Explains How He Shot His Action Classic Without a Script
    Woo spoke at a Secret Movie Club screening at L.A.’s Vista Theater

    Tim Molloy | June 21, 2019 @ 4:09 PM
    Last Updated: June 21, 2019 @ 4:11 PM


    Photo illustration by Ryan Ward

    John Woo’s “The Killer” is one of the most influential action films of the last three decades, and as its 30th anniversary approaches, he told a Los Angeles audience Thursday how he staged some of its unforgettable scenes with no script.

    Secret Movie Club presented the film in 35mm at the Visa Theater, and started with a live Woo Q&A. Secret Movie Club programmer Craig Hammill started with a straightforward question for the director, whose Hollywood films include “Face/Off” and “Mission: Impossible II.”

    “You’re know for making some of the best action sequences of all time,” Hammill said. “Do you storyboard those sequences or do you come up with the shots once you’re on the set?”

    Woo’s response drew delighted laughter from the sold-out crowd.

    “No, I’ve never storyboarded anything in a movie,” Woo said. “You know what? For this, ‘The Killer,’ I even shot without a script. With no script. Just an outline.”

    He later added: “The whole movie was in my head.”

    Woo explained that he kept his general outline for the film in mind, giving his actors “a very simple idea of a story.”

    From there, he envisioned the action. He clarified, as he has many times, that it isn’t inspired by personal experience. (“I’ve never fired a real gun in my life,” Woo said. “I’m a peace lover.)

    “Most of the action, I choreograph by myself, because I’m a pretty good dancer,” he said, to more laughter. “An action sequence is like I’m making a dancing scene, or I’m dancing with the actors.”

    Woo said he would sometimes surprise his producer by arriving at a location, very early, with only a general idea of what he needed to shoot. He described once asking for “30 stunt guys and 150 extras.”

    “And they were asking… Mr Woo, what’s the story about?” he recalled.

    “I said, ‘I don’t know.'”

    But not to worry. Woo would survey the location, put himself in the mind of his actors, and decide what they would do. For the ensuing shootouts, he took his inspiration in part from musicals like “Singing in the Rain” and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”

    “The Killer” stars Chow Yun-fat as an assassin who seeks an exit out of the business after he accidentally blinds a singer, played by Sally Yeh. Danny Lee plays a cop who intercedes in unpredictable ways.

    Woo plans a remake of “The Killer” starring Lupita Nyong’o.

    The original film is regarded as a Hong Kong action classic for its mix of breathless action and relentless style. Along with films like “Hard Boiled,” it earned Woo many opportunities in Hollywood.

    “Face/Off” includes several callbacks to “The Killer,” including a confrontation in a church and the frequent use of doves, which Woo says became his visual hallmark after “The Killer.”
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    Omar Sy


    ‘Lupin’s Omar Sy To Lead John Woo’s Reimagining Of ‘The Killer’ For Peacock

    By Matt Grobar
    Film Reporter

    August 4, 2022 11:30am

    Courtesy of Universal
    Universal has announced that Lupin‘s Omar Sy will lead John Woo’s reimagining of his 1989 crime drama The Killer for Peacock.

    The original film written and directed by Woo watches as the disillusioned assassin Ah Jong (Chow Yun-fat) accepts one last hit, in hopes of using his earnings to restore vision to the singer (Sally Yeh) he accidentally blinded. Details as to the reimagining’s plot have not been disclosed. But Woo returns to direct the pic announced earlier this year as one of three Universal originals set to debut on Peacock in 2023. He also serves as its producer.

    The screenplay was written by writing partners Matthew Stuecken and Josh Campbell (10 Cloverfield Lane), as well as Eran Creevy (Welcome to the Punch, Collide) and Brian Helgeland (42, Legend). Universal Pictures’ Senior Vice President of Production Development Sara Scott and Creative Development Executive Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.

    Sy is a French actor who rocketed to international stardom with his performance in The Intouchables, which led him to become the first Black thesp to win the César for Best Actor. He currently stars in Netflix’s Lupin, one of the streamer’s most watched non-English language series, which has been renewed for a third installment. He most recently appeared in the WWI drama Father & Soldier, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, also producing the pic through his Korokoro production banner.

    Sy is represented by CAA and Adequat in France, as well as attorney Warren Dern at Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern
    Loved him in Lupin
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