Keanu Reeves Officially Joins James Wan’s Intense 109-Minute Thriller Remake Streaming for Free

Keanu Reeves could soon trade John Wick’s underworld for an even more treacherous criminal alliance. The action star is negotiating to join James Wan’s remake of the acclaimed South Korean thriller The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil, with original star Don Lee returning to reprise his role. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures is developing the English-language reimagining, marking Wan’s first feature directorial project since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). Reeves’ casting has not been finalized, and his character remains undisclosed.

Paramount has not announced a release date, production start, or additional casting details. Meanwhile, Lee Won-tae’s 2019 original is available to watch free with ads in the United States on platforms including Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel, according to JustWatch’s U.S. streaming listings.

Don Lee’s 97%-Rated Thriller Raises the Bar

Credit: Well Go USA Entertainment

Before Hollywood came calling, The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil had already made its mark at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it screened in the Midnight Screenings selection. Directed by Lee Won-tae, the 109-minute thriller follows Jang Dong-su (Don Lee), a feared gang boss whose reputation takes a beating after he narrowly survives a serial killer’s attack.

Detective Jung Tae-seok (Kim Mu-yeol) believes the assailant is responsible for several murders, forcing the two adversaries into an uneasy alliance. According to the Cannes Film Festival’s official synopsis, their motivations couldn’t be further apart. The detective wants the killer prosecuted; the gangster wants revenge. Their alliance isn’t built on friendship but on mutual convenience, and every apparent breakthrough threatens to reignite their rivalry. It’s a bruising game of cat and mouse in which neither hunter has clean hands.

The film holds a 97% Tomatometer from 36 reviews and a 94% verified Popcornmeter. Commercially, the Korean thriller earned approximately $25.8 million worldwide, with most revenue coming from international markets. Lee’s return is therefore more than a nostalgic cameo. His imposing physicality and surprisingly expressive performance were central to the original’s appeal. Keeping him involved could preserve the remake’s distinctive personality rather than turning it into another anonymous Hollywood shoot-’em-up.

James Wan Faces His Toughest Crime Remake

Credit: Summit Entertainment

James Wan’s involvement introduces an intriguing stylistic wildcard. Best known for Saw, The Conjuring, and Insidious, he understands how to weaponize suspense, while Furious 7 demonstrated his command of large-scale action. The remake also reunites several formidable industry figures. Eric Pearson, whose credits include Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, wrote the latest screenplay after earlier drafts by Shay Hatten and Oscar-winning L.A. Confidential writer Brian Helgeland.

According to Variety, Wan will produce through Blumhouse-Atomic Monster alongside Jason Blum and Michael Clear. Lee, Sylvester Stallone, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and other producers are also attached. Reeves’ potential involvement presents the biggest creative question. His John Wick experience makes him an obvious fit for the film’s punishing action, but the original thrives on friction between two men with fundamentally incompatible moral codes.

Casting Reeves as the detective would create an intriguing contrast with Lee’s formidable gangster, although his character has not been announced.

The greater risk is sanding down the Korean original’s rough edges. Wan’s Hollywood version needs more than slicker choreography and a bigger budget; it must preserve the uneasy partnership that makes the story tick.

There’s also a career connection worth exploring. As FandomWire’s coverage of Reeves’ recent Apple TV film Outcome illustrates, the actor has ventured beyond conventional action roles. A morally complicated crime thriller could offer another opportunity to stretch his range. For Wan, the remake represents a return to directing after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. His experience balancing horror, spectacle, and psychological tension makes him a promising choice, but remaking a film with near-unanimous critical approval is no walk in the park.

Can Keanu Reeves and James Wan improve upon a 97%-rated Korean thriller, or should Hollywood leave this bruising crime classic untouched? Share your verdict in the comments and follow FandomWire for more Keanu Reeves updates, James Wan projects, Korean thriller remakes, and upcoming Hollywood releases.