Celebrated action movie director John Woo will direct an English-language remake of one of his own most beloved movies, The Killer. The project was officially announced courtesy of a press release from Peacock saying, “celebrated action auteur John Woo returns to reimagine and direct his own classic, The Killer,” meaning that John Woo will get another shot at bringing The Killer to life once again.
Further details regarding the remake are scarce, but with John Woo at the helm, we can safely assume that this version of The Killer will adhere quite closely to the 1989 original. Written and directed by John Woo, the original The Killer stars Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee and Sally Yeh and follows Chow as an assassin named Ah Jong. After accidentally damaging the eyes of a singer, Jennie (Sally Yeh), during a shootout, Ah Jong decides to take on one last, highly dangerous job in order to pay for surgery that will save the singer’s sight.
The Killer is one of John Woo’s best-known movies, particularly where Western audiences are concerned, with the critically acclaimed action outing demonstrating many of Woo’s patented visual moves. Showing off his creative flare, The Killer is full of chaotic, kinetic, violent action sequences, stylized choreography, so-called Mexican stand-offs, and slow motion. So, expect a lot of these to make the transition from the original to the remake. The Killer has had a huge influence on action movies ever since, even influencing the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez.
An English-language take on The Killer has been proposed in the past, with the project due to gender-swap the lead role. Black Panther star Lupita Nyong’o signed on to star as the lead of The Killer remake back in 2018, but sadly departed the movie following ongoing script rewrites. It is currently unknown whether Peacock and John Woo’s latest version of The Killer will maintain the aim of gender-swapping the main character.
John Woo Will First Helm the Dialogue Free Action Outing Silent Night
Tre Vänner Produktion AB
Before returning to the world of The Killer with the upcoming remake, John Woo will first direct a dialogue-free action flick titled Silent Night. Starring The Suicide Squad actor Joel Kinnaman, Silent Night will follow a regular, everyday father who is dragged into the criminal underworld when he embarks on a revenge mission following the death of his son.
While this simple plot does not sound all that special, the real hook of Silent Night is the fact that it will feature no dialogue. None at all. Not a word. Apparently. Filming on Silent Night began last month, with John Woo taking to social media to celebrate the cameras rolling. “First day of shooting SILENT NIGHT, starring @joelkinnaman,” the filmmaker said in a caption alongside a surprisingly peaceful image. A peace that will be shattered, making way for violent revenge.
Neither The Killer nor Silent Night has yet been given a release date, but the idea of multiple action flicks helmed by John Woo is more than exciting enough for now.
