THE RAID Director Gareth Evans’ Next Movie Is a Gritty Remake of A COLT IS MY PASSPORT Starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
Filmmaker Gareth Evans, the mastermind behind The Raid action movies, has quietly wrapped production on his latest project, a reimagining of the 1967 Japanese noir thriller A Colt Is My Passport. The film was shot in Wales and is being developed by Amazon MGM Studios and Orion Pictures.
The new take on Takashi Nomura’s classic is set in 1978 Detroit and follows Colt, a Vietnam veteran turned contract killer who finds himself on the run after taking out a gangland boss. This reimagining comes from a script by Chris Webb, who previously worked with Evans on Havoc and The Apostle.
Leading the cast is Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (The Gorge, Gangs of London), joined by a strong lineup that includes Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction), Jack Reynor (Midsommar), Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody), Victor Alli (Bridgerton), Ewan Mitchell (The Last Kingdom), Burn Gorman (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), and Noah Taylor (Edge of Tomorrow).
Evans shared his passion for bringing this story back to life, saying: “From the moment I first saw Takashi Nomura’s wildly influential A Colt Is My Passport, I fell in love with its bold fusion of genres. Merging film noir and spaghetti western tropes together in an irresistible way I knew immediately I wanted to take on the challenge of making this my next feature.
“More a reimagining than a remake, Chris Webb’s remarkable, noir-drenched script has taken the original film’s core themes and built upon them gifting the story’s iconic characters more emotional weight while retaining its deep rooted genre influences.”
He added: “The incredible cast led by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Jack Reynor, Lucy Boynton, Victor Alli, Burn Gorman and Tim Roth have been an absolute dream to work with.
“Their dedication towards realising the vision of the film has been nothing short of inspiring, making the last 12 weeks of production a deeply rewarding and reinvigorating experience.
“I am beyond grateful for the trust and faith Orion have shown in us and I am so excited to share this wildly ambitious film with audiences worldwide.”
The movie was produced by Ed Talfan (Havoc) for Severn Screen and Evans for One More One Productions, with support from the Welsh Government through Creative Wales. Filming took place at Great Point Studios in Cardiff and across South Wales. Executive producers include Shinjiro Nishimura for Nikkatsu and Dave Caplan for C2.
Dìrísù’s star continues to rise with several high-profile projects on the horizon, including Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow, which won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes, and Netflix’s All the Sinners Bleed. He’s also appeared in Black Rabbit, Slow Horses, and His House, which earned him a BAFTA nomination.
With Evans behind the camera, a stellar cast, and a stylish noir story relocated to gritty 70s Detroit, this project sounds like it could be pretty awesome.
Source: Deadline