First Images of John Woo’s ‘The Killer’ Remake Reveal a Radical Reimagining of His 1989 Action Thriller

The first images of John Woo’s film “The Killer” have been revealed. It’s not a new project from Woo. Rather, it’s a reimagining of his 1989 classic film of the same name. The original film featured acclaimed actor Chow Yun-fat, who portrayed assassin Ah Jong, who accidentally damages the eyes of singer Jennie (Sally Yeh) during a shootout and sets out to perform one last hit for her treatment. The film not only made Yun-Fat an international star. It also solidified Woo’s status in the industry. Now, over thirty years after the original movie became a landmark of Hong Kong cinema, “The Killer” is making a comeback on Peacock in a remake described as a “radical re-imagining” of the first movie.

With Woo’s new take on his film set to release on Peacock on August 23, 2024, IGN debuts three first-look images from the movie, featuring stars Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy, as well as director Woo himself.

Here is the Exclusive First Look of The Killer:

What can be expected from John Woo’s reimagined film version of The Killer’?

According to The Killer’s synopsis,

“Zee (Nathalie Emmanuel), a mysterious and infamous assassin known and feared in the Parisian underworld as the Queen of the Dead, but when, during an assignment from her shadowy mentor and handler Finn (Sam Worthington), Zee refuses to kill a blinded young woman, Jenn (Diana Silvers), in a Paris nightclub, the decision will disintegrate Zee’s alliances, attract the attention of a savvy police investigator Sy (Omar Sy), and plunge her into a sinister criminal conspiracy that will set her on a collision course with her own past.”

The movie also features renowned French actors Eric Cantona as Gobert, Tchéky Karyo as Tessier, and Grégory Montel as Jax. Oscar winner Brian Helgeland wrote the script, and Oscar winners Charles Roven and Alex Gartner for Atlas Entertainment and John Woo and Lori Tilkin deFelice for Better Tomorrow Films produced it. The film’s executive producers are Terence Chang and Robin Fisichella.

Speaking with IGN, Emmanuel talked about her admiration for Woo’s work. She said,

“I love the original movie. I’ve seen it more than a couple of times. (John Woo) was an innovator of action, in my opinion. And just really cared about not just the action, and the sort of excitement and the spectacle of the action, but really care about the characters and their emotional dilemma, as you put it. And so it’s an excellent movie. I’ve seen a lot of John’s movies. I’m a massive fan of Face/Off. I think it’s one of my favorites of his, and Mission: Impossible 2 is obviously fantastic.”

The reimagined The Killer promises to deliver operatic violence with a fresh twist on the original story, featuring a new cast and modern action sequences.