Keanu Reeves in Talks for James Wan's Gangster Remake at Paramount

Keanu Reeves is in talks to star in James Wan's "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" at Paramount Pictures, an English-language reimagining of the 2019 Korean action-crime thriller, according to a report first published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Don Lee, the Korean star also known as Ma Dong-seok, is attached to reprise his original role opposite Reeves. That detail matters: the remake is not discarding its source. Lee headlined the 2019 film, which follows a police officer and a gangster who reluctantly join forces to hunt a serial killer, and which debuted to rave reviews in the Cannes Film Festival's lineup that year.

Wan will direct. The project marks his first feature since 2023's "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," a two-year gap that says as much about Wan's pivot toward producing as about his directing slate. He will also produce.

The producing credits stack up quickly:

• Michael Clear and Jason Blum, via Blumhouse Atomic Monster
• Don Lee, via Big Punch Global
• Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller, via Balboa Productions
• Chris S. Lee, via B&C Group
• Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who has also joined the production

Eric Pearson wrote the latest script, working from previous drafts by Shay Hatten and Brian Helgeland. Helgeland and Billy Acumen will executive produce.

What does this change for Reeves?

In the near term, nothing is signed. "In talks" is not a deal, and studios' negotiations fall through routinely. If Reeves closes, he adds another studio franchise player to a career already built on them — from "The Matrix" films to the "John Wick" series.

His recent record runs wide. He last starred in the Apple TV+ dramedy "Outcome," directed by Jonah Hill, and voiced Duke Caboom in "Toy Story 5." Next comes "Sonic the Hedgehog 4," in which he reprises the voice role of Shadow; Paramount has dated that film for March 19, 2027. Reeves is repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham.

A project six years in the making

The remake has been in development since 2019 — the same year the original premiered at Cannes. Wan boarded the production this spring, according to the report, which finally gave the long-gestating project a director and, potentially, a star.

The producers' lineup is unusually crowded for a mid-budget thriller: at least six production entities share credit, from Blumhouse's merged Atomic Monster banner to Stallone's Balboa Productions. Whether that many stakeholders speed the film toward cameras or complicate them remains to be seen. No production start date, release window or additional cast has been announced.

If the deal closes, the film would pair Reeves with a Korean star in a Korean-language hit's second life — a pairing Paramount, riding the "Sonic" franchise with Reeves, clearly wants to repeat.