Keanu Reeves in Talks: Paramount Remake with James Wan and Don Lee

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Keanu Reeves in Talks: Paramount Remake with James Wan and Don Lee.

Keanu Reeves is in talks for the lead role in “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” at Paramount Pictures, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. James Wan has been named as the project’s filmmaker, while Don Lee is set to reprise his role from the original. For film fans, that makes this more than a single casting rumor: the two outlets are consistently reporting on a concrete Paramount project involving several well-known names.

The starting point is the 2019 Korean action crime thriller, in which Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok, played the lead. Both outlets describe the new film as a reimagining of the original. “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” is therefore not merely a loose film concept, but a project with the studio, filmmaker and two central actors already identified.

For you, the precise distinction is important: Reeves is being discussed as a potential lead actor, Wan has been named as the filmmaker, and Lee is slated to take on his original role. That does not amount to a final confirmed cast.

Reeves and Wan: The Core Is Clear, the Casting Remains Open

The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively reporting on Reeves’ talks with Paramount. Variety also confirms that Reeves is in talks for a project with Wan at Paramount Pictures. Both reports name the same title and central figures: Keanu Reeves, James Wan and “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil”.

The decisive status is: talks are still ongoing. In the reports, Reeves is identified as a possible lead actor, not as an already confirmed star. This distinction matters when keeping an eye on the upcoming casting: a personal agreement, a contract and an official casting announcement are not the same thing.

Don Lee Would Be the Bridge to the Original

Variety explicitly refers to Don Lee as Ma Dong-seok as well and reports that the actor is set to reprise his role from the Korean original alongside Reeves. The Paramount reimagining would therefore not only gain a new face, but also bring back the actor from the original.

The reimagining would remain closely tied to its source: Don Lee would continue to portray the same movie hero, while Reeves would join as a possible new central character. The Hollywood Reporter also confirms that Paramount is reimagining the 2019 thriller. The two sources therefore support both the remake concept and the casting plans outlined.

What the Reports Establish—and Where Certainty Ends

According to the reports: Paramount Pictures is developing “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil,” James Wan is involved in the project, Reeves is in talks for the lead role and Don Lee is set to reprise his original role. As an action crime thriller with a Korean original from 2019, the project is clearly categorized.

By contrast, neither a start of production nor a release date has been confirmed in the available material. If you are following casting updates, keep these three statuses separate: Reeves is in talks for the lead role, Wan has been named as the filmmaker and Lee is set to reprise his original role.

What You Get From Both Reports: A Direct Comparison

The detailed report from The Hollywood Reporter and the report from Variety confirm the same core: a Paramount remake with James Wan, Keanu Reeves as a possible lead and Don Lee in his original role.