The Raid: Redemption was, without a doubt, one of the best (also: most violent) martial arts-based action films in recent years.
The 2011 Indonesian film was directed by Welshman Gareth Evans, and exceeded anyone's expectations - making the name of lead Iko Uwais and spawning a 2014 sequel.
As with many successful foreign films, however, it's inevitable that it'll get the re-make treatment at some point for an English-language audience, and that's exactly what's happening as Joe Carnahan (the man behind The Grey, The A-Team, Smokin' Aces and more) is set to direct. Evans will act as producer on the new film.
The film was scheduled for an English-language remake up until 2015, when director Patrick Hughes and actor Taylor Kitsch pulled out of the project.
Carnahan described his version it as a 're-imagining' of the original rather than a remake, as he posted a teaser to Instagram that also featured Frank Grillo (Warrior, The Grey), who will take the lead role. He discusses having Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, as a possible shooting location, and would feature only 6 or 7 members of that SWAT team that become trapped in the crime-riddled, mobster-run tenement building to fight for their lives.
Watch Carnahan and Grillo discuss it below:
THE RAID remake will hew closer in tone & feel to THE GREY and NARC.@Ghuevans is producing alongside & has given us his full blessing.
— Joe Carnahan (@carnojoe) February 15, 2017
It's not a remake. It's a reimagining of the same scenario.
Everybody take a deep breath.
We won't disappoint you, rabid-fanboy-from-Hell. https://t.co/ShPcXmng5n— Joe Carnahan (@carnojoe) February 15, 2017
You can't remake The Raid, guys. It's a fantastic film. So, ask yourselves why would we be doing it, unless we had something really special.
— Joe Carnahan (@carnojoe) February 15, 2017
