Stop me if you think you've heard this one before but a remake of A Bittersweet Life is reportedly coming together at 20th Century Fox with Michael B. Jordan taking on Lee Byung-hun's classic gangster role and former animation director Jennifer Yuh Nelson filling Kim Jee-woon's shoes in what is tipped to be a franchise-starter.
A tale of a suave and loyal gang enforcer who falls for the wrong girl before embarking on a brutal vendetta against his own clan, A Bittersweet Life is for many the signature work of both Lee and Kim. Fox seems determined to remake it but this is now the third different iteration of the project and it's not likely to go before cameras anytime soon.
Back in 2009 there were rumors that Denzel Washington was attached to star in a remake of the film and then in 2012 news broke that Allen Hughes was at the helm, but at that time no star was listed with the project (though some speculated that since Hughes and Washington had worked together on Book of Eli the latter might still be the project's lead).
Fast forward to 2017 and the director's chair has passed on to Korean-American filmmaker Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who helmed both Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3. She's currently filming her live action debut, an adaptation of Alexandra Bracken's YA novel The Darkest Minds. With that film due for release in September, 2018, A Bittersweet Life would hit screens in 2019 at the earliest.
Whether it actually happens or not, Creed star Jordan is an enticing prospect to take on the lead role. The project is being produced by 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy, Dan Levine and Dan Cohen, with CJ Entertainment, the Korean studio behind the original, also on board.
Meanwhile, Lee Byung-hun is back on screens in period action-drama The Fortress next month and Kim Jee-woon is busy working on his live action Jinroh: The Wolf Brigade update In-rang for a summer slot in 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment