Very interesting news just broke tonight, as Deadline reports that John Woo and Universal Pictures are joining forces for a new take on Woo’s 1989 action film The Killer, which Woo himself will be returning to direct. Replacing Chow-Yun Fat in the leading role? Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o, fresh off her role 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 site notes, “The redo will blend espionage with extraordinary stunts to capture the feel of the original.”
Eran Creevy (Collide) wrote the script based on an original draft by 10 Cloverfield Lane‘s Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken. Brian Helgeland is being brought on to do a production pass.
Producing alongside Woo is eOne’s Mark Gordon. 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.
The aim is to begin production later this year in France and Germany.
