James Wan Directing The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil Remake

James Wan to Direct ‘The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil’ Remake for Paramount

Original star Don Lee returns for the English-language adaptation of the South Korean hit, written by Shay Hatten.

Sofia Chen

Mar 10, 2026, 11:04 PM PT · 2 min read

James Wan — Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

THE RUNDOWN

James Wan will direct the remake for Paramount Pictures.
Don Lee reprises his original role as the titular gangster.
Shay Hatten is writing the screenplay for the action thriller.
James Wan’s Atomic Monster will produce the English-language adaptation.
The story is based on the hit 2019 South Korean film.

James Wan is stepping behind the camera for a gritty new project at Paramount Pictures. The Aquaman and The Conjuring director will helm the English-language remake of the 2019 South Korean crime thriller The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil. In a major win for fans of the original, star Don Lee (also known as Ma Dong-seok) is officially set to reprise his role as the formidable gang leader.

The script is moving forward with Shay Hatten, the writer behind John Wick: Chapter 4, taking over writing duties. Hatten is working from an earlier draft penned by Brian Helgeland. James Wan isn't just directing; he is also producing the film through his production banner, Atomic Monster. This marks a high-profile collaboration as the team adapts one of South Korea's most successful recent action exports.

The original film followed an unlikely alliance between a crime boss and a detective to catch a serial killer. Don Lee’s performance in the 2019 version earned international acclaim before he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Eternals. With Wan’s proven track record for building massive franchises, this remake is quickly becoming a priority for the studio.