UPDATE: Hughes' talks are complete and Deadline is reporting he has the job.
There’s a kneejerk reaction that happens every time a remake is announced, and it’s one that has been borne out by many of the finished products. While we try to avoid that sensation taking hold, it’s hard not to wonder what a remake can bring to something like The Raid, which impressed us no end. Understand, then, that Patrick Hughes has big shoes to fill and heavy punches to throw when he tackles the remake of the 2012 action-stravaganza.
Gareth Evans’ original kicked, punched and chair-smashed its way into our brains and our hearts with its stripped-down story of SWAT team officer Rama (Iko Uwais), part of a squad making a risky assault on a tower block swarming with violent criminals. We felt every bone-crunching impact and cheered Rama’s hard-won victories. We’re looking forward to Evans opening up the canvas with the sequel, due here on April 11.
Hughes comes to the remake fresh from filming The Expendables 3, which will find our screens on August 15. Before that, he made Aussie revenge thriller Red Hill, which is partly what got him the gig marshalling Sly Stallone and company. For the US take on The Raid, he’ll be working from Brad Ingelsby’s script, and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles the action, and makes it different from Evans’ vision for the original. We don’t envy him the job.