Though the mind fairly boggles at the idea of someone other than Gareth Evans trying to replicate the sheer madness and fight design of The Raid, Hollywood’s veracious remake machine will brook no argument. Patrick Hughes is the man charged with adapting the American version, and Taylor Kitsch has been offered the lead.
As of right now, Kitsch is only ruminating on the idea, especially since he’s also considering a lead role in True Detective’s second season. That, incidentally, is set to wrap up filming just as the new Raid kicks off production in January next year.
Out Of The Furnace script man Brad Ingelsby wrote the screenplay for the new film, about which there is still much mystery beyond the fact that it will take the basic premise of the original – a mobster and his violent thugs lay a trap for a SWAT team inside a high-rise building, a trap they must fight their way out of – and transplanting it to the US. Kitsch, if he does agree to the film, would be one of the main SWAT officers. Frank Grillo is also on board, we're guessing in a role analagous to that played by Joe Taslim in the original.
Kitsch has worked on comedy drama The Grand Seduction and lent his voice to ‘toon Almost Heroes. He’s also attached to thriller Exit 147. Hughes most recently directed The Expendables 3, which is out on August 14.