There was a a large, collective eye-roll when it was announced a US remake of THE RAID: REDEMPTION would eventually be coming our way. No surprise given the popularity of the original (along with the lack of English), but there’s been little said on the remake front. The reason for that just may be because the film is now without a director and its star.
The names Taylor Kitsch and Frank Grillo have been tossed around as far as leading men go, and most recently, THE EXPENDABLES 3 helmer Patrick Hughes was on-board to direct. Now The Tracking Board is reporting that Hughes has left the project. On top of that, production company Screen Gems has also left, leaving the film entirely in the hands of XYZ Films.
What does this mean? For one, that nobody is exactly thrilled to bring this project to fruition. Probably good news for fans of director Gareth Evans, who in the span of two films has reinvigorated the martial arts genre. Bold words, but I think they’re true. His fight choreography for the original film and its sequel still has people talking. Bold and brutal, it feels less like a dance and more like two people trying to kill each other, which is exactly the way it should be!