Remake
In 1992, American director and writer Walter Hill wrote a screenplay titled The Killer, Based on the Hong Kong Action Film by John Woo that was dated April 6, 1992. A year later, screenwriters Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr. were hired by producers Charles Roven and Robert Cavallo to write a screenplay based on The Killer for Tri-Star Pictures. The press release of this remake stated the script was written for actors Richard Gere and Denzel Washington. In June 1992, it was announced Walter Hill and David Giler were writing a script titled Hong Kong based on The Killer with Hill directing. The producers had difficulty with the relationship between two main characters in the script as they felt that American audiences would interpret it as a homoerotic one. Producer Terence Chang, who worked with Woo on several productions, suggested to the American producers to have Hong Kong actress Michelle Yeoh play the role of the police officer to resolve any homoerotic reading of the film. A third draft of the script was released by August 23, 1993 which featured a story of a Caucasian hitman living in Hong Kong. This screenplay moved the focus from the pairing the hit man and the police detective characters to the characters of blinded night club singer and the hit man.
In October 2007, The Hollywood Reporter announced that a remake of The Killer was announced with American-Korean director John H. Lee directing. The remake would take place in Los Angeles's Koreatown, Chinatown, and South Central. Lee has stated that The Killer is one of his favourite films and that he is excited to make his own version of the film.
The remake will be produced by Woo, and star Jung Woo-Sung. The film is set to be shot in 3D.
Read more about this topic: The Killer (1989 film)