Keanu Reeves in Talks for James Wan’s The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil

Keanu Reeves is in talks to join James Wan’s The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, a Paramount Pictures reimagining of the 2019 Korean action-crime thriller. Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok, is attached to return in the role he played in the original film, while Wan is set to direct and produce.

The important qualifier is that Reeves is in talks, rather than confirmed as part of the cast. That means a deal has not been presented as complete, and neither a character name nor a precise division of roles between Reeves and Lee has been disclosed. The project has enough major creative pieces in place to be notable, but viewers should not read an announced release date, production start date, or final casting lineup into the news.

A remake built around an uneasy alliance

The 2019 film follows a police officer and a gangster who reluctantly work together to pursue a serial killer. It is an action-crime premise powered by conflict on multiple fronts: the criminal investigation, the killer at large, and the distrust between two people who would ordinarily be opponents.

That basic setup gives the remake a clear dramatic engine without confirming how closely it will track the earlier movie. A reimagining generally signals that filmmakers are revisiting a core premise rather than guaranteeing a scene-for-scene recreation. In this case, the supplied details establish the returning central situation and Lee’s involvement, but not the setting, supporting characters, action style, or changes to the story.

Lee’s attachment is particularly meaningful because he starred in the Korean original and is expected to reprise that role in the Paramount version. His participation creates a direct link between the two films that goes beyond title and premise. At the same time, the current information does not identify Reeves’ intended character, so it would be premature to assume he is playing the police officer, the gangster, or the serial killer.

The original film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 and received strong notices. Its premise also has a compact, accessible structure: two adversaries, one common threat, and a partnership likely to become more volatile as the pursuit advances. That is the kind of framework that can support a new interpretation while retaining the tension that made the original stand out.

James Wan takes on his first feature since ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’

Wan will direct the film, marking his first feature directing assignment since 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. He is also producing alongside Michael Clear and Jason Blum through Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Lee through Big Punch Global, Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller through Balboa Productions, Chris S. Lee through B&C Group, and Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

That lengthy producer list does not, by itself, reveal the final creative shape of the movie. It does show, however, that the project is being assembled through a broad collection of production partners. The film has been in development since 2019, and Wan joined the production this spring. Development refers to the stage in which a project is being written, packaged with creative talent, and prepared for a possible move into production; it is not the same thing as filming.

Wan’s role matters because a director is responsible for translating a screenplay into the finished feature, including its performances, pacing, visual approach and staging. But there is no confirmed indication yet of how he will handle the original’s action-crime tone, whether the remake will lean more toward detective thriller or gangster drama, or what its rating may be.

For more thriller-related movie discussion, readers can also check out our review of Animals.

The screenplay has passed through several writers

Eric Pearson wrote the latest script, using previous drafts by Shay Hatten and Brian Helgeland as the foundation. Helgeland and Billy Acumen are executive producers.

Multiple screenplay drafts are common on a studio feature, especially one that has spent years in development. A later draft can involve anything from dialogue revisions to major structural changes, but the available information does not say what Pearson changed or which elements from the earlier drafts remain. It is therefore safest to view the writing credits as a record of the film’s development process, not as evidence of a confirmed plot departure from the Korean film.

An executive producer credit can cover a variety of contributions, including development, financing, rights, or high-level creative involvement. It should not automatically be treated as proof that the credited person will be on set directing performances or overseeing daily production. Likewise, the presence of producers associated with several companies does not establish who holds final creative control.

Why Reeves is a natural name for this kind of project—without settling the casting question

Reeves’ potential involvement immediately puts a familiar action-film presence beside Lee, whose return provides continuity with the original. Reeves has led both the The Matrix and John Wick franchises, two bodies of work that have made his name closely associated with action cinema. That background makes the pairing easy to understand at a high level, particularly for a story involving a pursuit of a serial killer and a high-friction alliance.

Still, an actor’s prior roles do not tell audiences how a new film will use them. No character details for Reeves have been provided, and no footage, production imagery, or completed casting announcement is available in the supplied information. The most useful expectation at this stage is simply that the project is aiming to pair an established action star with the performer who anchored the earlier film.

Reeves was most recently seen in the AppleTV dramedy Outcome, directed by Jonah Hill, and voiced Duke Caboom in Toy Story 5. He is also scheduled to return as Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, which Paramount has dated for March 19, 2027. Those credits demonstrate a varied slate, but they do not provide a timetable for The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil.

What has and has not been confirmed

Confirmed: Paramount Pictures is developing a reimagining of the 2019 Korean action-crime thriller.
Confirmed: James Wan will direct and produce.
Confirmed: Don Lee is attached to reprise his role from the original movie.
Confirmed: Eric Pearson wrote the latest screenplay draft, following drafts by Shay Hatten and Brian Helgeland.
In talks: Keanu Reeves is being discussed for a role; his deal is not described as finalized.
Not disclosed: Reeves’ character, a production start, additional cast, a release date, and how extensively the remake will differ from the original.

For now, the headline is the prospective Reeves-Wan collaboration and Lee’s planned return to a role he originated. The premise supplies a sturdy action-thriller foundation, and the team behind it has been taking shape for years. Until a deal closes and further production details emerge, though, the project remains one to watch rather than a fully defined upcoming release.