Lupita Nyong’o to Star in Remake of John Woo’s The Killer

Lupita Nyong’o is set to star in the long-gestating remake of John Woo’s The Killer. Deadline reports that Nyong’o is set to play the assassin role played by Chow Yun-fat in the film. Woo will return to direct the Americanized take on the film, marking his first American studio film since Paycheck in 2003.

The original film starred Chow as a stone-cold killer who accidentally blinds a singer during a hit on a mobster. Wracked with guilt, he takes one last hit to get the money for the singer’s eye operation and teams up with a cop. It was incredibly influential and had an impact on directors like Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Luc Besson on its way to cult classic status.

The remake will follow the same beats, with Nyong’o’s hitwoman accidentally blinding another woman. The film will begin production later this year in France and Germany. Eran Creevy (Collide) wrote the script based on an earlier draft by Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken. Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) is doing a final production polish on the script.