It was director Lee Jeong-Beom whose 2010 actioner, The Man From Nowhere became a fireball of a hit among moviegoers in Korea, holding the number one spot for five weeks. There’s no mistaking why though, taking nods from films like Pierre Morel’s Taken (2009) and Tony Scott’s Man On Fire (2004) with a formula that provided the necessary means for some of the most terrific and gripping performances ever seen in an action thriller of this caliber.
Actor Won Bin led the film alongside young actress Kim Sae-Ron for the riveting story of a reclusive pawnshop keeper and former assassin who, in the wake of a police investigation into his past, turns to his old skillset when his junkie neighbor’s daughter is kidnapped by gangsters looking for stolen drugs. Slick action sequences by Park Jung-ryul (Inside Men, Typhoon), stellar scoring and substantive drama with Kim as the absolute heart and soul are what continue to make The Man From Nowhere a continual reference among anyone discussing not only how to make an action movie, but how to make an action movie LAST.
Helmer Lee tried to echo this in his heavily-armed 2014 follow-up, No Tears For The Dead, a badass title for an even more badass action flick of a slightly international nature no less, but still doesn’t achieve what the former does in its pure, vengeful splendor. With CJ Entertainment holding the rights though, Dimension Films once moved forward with a remake of their own before it collapsed and Nishikant Kamat’s own remake, Rocky Handsome, was released to less avail compare to its predecessor.
With that in mind, Deadline is now writing of new developments over at New Line for a remake of the film. No doubt this news may read sour for some cinephiles and fans alike who are staunchly or mildly critical of remakes, but it goes without saying (while I’ll surely say it) that the talent is out there as is the potential for a damn good remake if its done right.
Will it hold a candle to Lee’s work? Probably not, but let’s hope New Line finds the right people to make the right decisions in order for this remake not to fall flat as one might fear.