Michael Mann is developing a remake of the veteran Korean crime thriller

“Ferrari” director Michael Mann is planning to make an adaptation of the South Korean crime film “Veteran.”

The project is in the development stage, and Mann is working with the US and Korean wings of CJ ENM, Korea’s leading film and television group. It is currently undecided whether Mann himself will direct or just take the producing and writing credits.

A source close to CJ ENM said: “We are developing a script with Michael Mann, but his role and our timeline have not been determined yet.” diverse.

Work on the project was halted during the Hollywood screenwriters’ strike, and it is unclear when development will begin in earnest.

Mann is currently focused on developing Heat 2, which he recently confirmed will be his next directorial film. The project, made at Warner Bros., is a sequel to his 1995 noir “Heat.”

“Veteran” has some similarities to “Heat” in that it features a tough cop hero and scenes of bravery. But the antagonist is not so much a career criminal as a corporate prince who abuses his wealth and privileges.

Ryoo Seung-wan, the writer and director of the original “Veteran,” produced the film on a large canvas, but also directed his production to have a comedic or audience-pleasing tone. The finished film premiered internationally at the 2015 Toronto Sidebar Film Festival, was selected as Best Film at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain and grossed over $85 million at the box office in South Korea – the equivalent of roughly $400 million in North America.

Although Mann has previously worked in Asia and with Asian stars — notably in the 2015 film “Blackhat” and with Gong Lee in the 2006 action film “Miami Vice” — sources close to the development say the current plan is to move the work out of Korea. To the United States. city.

Mann’s latest film, “Ferrari,” starring Adam Driver as the legendary sports car tycoon, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is scheduled to be released in the U.S. by Neon on December 25. The film “Ferrari” will likely be included in the Oscars race. It also affects Mann’s schedule.