James Wan to Direct Hollywood Remake of The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil
Modern horror heavyweight James Wan is set to step behind the camera for a new Hollywood remake of the South Korean crime thriller The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil. The upcoming English-language adaptation is being developed at Paramount, with Wan attached to both direct and produce.
Wan is no stranger to genre filmmaking. The director helped shape modern horror with Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring, while also stepping into blockbuster territory with Aquaman and its 2023 sequel. Although he has continued producing horror projects through his Atomic Monster banner, the remake of The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil will mark his next major directing effort.
One particularly intriguing detail is that Ma Dong-seok, the star of the original 2019 film, will return for the remake. Dong-seok, known internationally for his scene-stealing role in Train to Busan, played the formidable crime boss Jang Dong-soo in the original. His performance was one of the film’s standout elements, blending brute strength with a surprisingly charismatic presence.
Directed by Lee Won-tae, the original The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil was released in South Korea in May 2019 and was inspired by a real-life criminal case. The story follows a determined police detective and a powerful gangster who form an unlikely alliance to hunt down a brutal serial killer. After the killer attacks both men separately, their motivations collide. The cop wants to capture the murderer legally in order to close several unsolved cases, while the gangster seeks revenge for the violent attack that nearly killed him.
The uneasy partnership becomes the core of the film, with both men navigating their own criminal and law enforcement worlds while racing to track down the killer before the other gets to him first. The investigation leads to a series of violent confrontations, gang rivalries, and moral compromises, all building toward a tense final act that brings the characters’ competing goals to a head.
The film starred Ma Dong-seok alongside Kim Mu-yeol as the determined detective Jung Tae-suk and Kim Sung-kyu as the mysterious serial killer Kang Kyung-ho. Its blend of crime drama, action and serial killer thriller elements helped it stand out on release. The film was also screened internationally, including in the Midnight Screenings section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and later at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
James Wan from Saw to Korean Remakes
For the remake, the screenplay will be written by Shay Hatten, who previously worked on the John Wick franchise and the Rebel Moon films. His script is based on an earlier draft by Brian Helgeland, the Academy Award-winning writer of L.A. Confidential and A Knight’s Tale, who will serve as an executive producer on the project.
James Wan first made his mark on the horror genre with the 2004 film Saw, which went on to launch one of the most successful horror franchises of all time. He followed that with Insidious and The Conjuring, both of which became hugely influential modern horror hits and spawned their own cinematic universes. Wan later showed his range by stepping into blockbuster territory with Furious 7 and Aquaman, proving he could handle massive studio productions while still maintaining the suspenseful filmmaking style that made his early horror films so memorable.
Wan will produce the film through the Blumhouse-Atomic Monster partnership. Additional producers include Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller via Stallone’s Balboa Productions, adding another high-profile name to the project’s creative team.
While casting details beyond Dong-seok have not yet been announced, the remake already has strong pedigree behind it. With Wan directing and the original film’s lead returning, the project is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing international remakes currently in development.
The original The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil gained a reputation for its intense action sequences, morally complex characters and brutal serial killer storyline. If Wan’s remake captures even a fraction of that tension while adding his own cinematic style, it could become a standout entry in the growing wave of Hollywood adaptations of international thrillers.
