We're all too willing to admit that John Woo's US filmmaking career hasn't ever hit the heady heights of his Hong Kong classics. But is there really a need to rip The Killer from his clutches, bounce it to Los Angeles and re-cast the assassin played so effectively by Chow Yun-Fat?
Er, apparently there wasis And one of the men responsible for the new version? That would be John Woo himself. At the very least, he'll give his blessing, since his production partner Terence Chang is behind the move to the States.
Korean-American director John H Lee (A Moment To Remember) will be calling the shots, with a casting search on for someone to inhabit Chow's suit. "I ask myself why they chose me and whether I can top it," Lee blabbed to The Hollywood Reporter. "But then I realize it's not about making it better. It's about making my own version. My strength is dealing with human emotions, austerity and elegance." But is he ready for a backlash from Woo's fans? Doubt it.
Still, Chang has faith that a switch to Koreatown in LA won't hurt the movie's kick-ass essence. "In John's original version, it doesn't really matter where the film is set, except that Hong Kong has this dragon boat festival which adds a bit of local flavour. In this remake, we will use the geography of LA to move the story forward," he told the Reporter, adding that old chestnut about LA being a 'character' in the film. Well, that'll be at least one then.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
