Trailer for John Woo’s The Killer on Peacock reveals new assassin

More than three decades have passed since the release of John Woo’s celebrated movie, The Killer, from 1989. Now, a new generation is set to experience the thrills and action with a fresh iteration starring Nathalie Emmanuel.

Premiering on Peacock on August 23, the remake retains the essence of the original film, with John Woo once again directing. Although Emmanuel’s character Zee differs from Chow Yun-Fat’s Ah Jong, the trailer imbues the classic John Woo action flair that fans have come to cherish.

The Killer centers on Zee, an assassin tasked with a complex mission. Her mentor, portrayed by Sam Worthington, instructs her to eliminate a blind young woman (Diana Silvers). The moral conflict of targeting such a vulnerable individual leads Zee to spare her life. This decision, however, puts Zee in the crosshairs of powerful adversaries, setting her on the run. Concurrently, Zee seeks to uncover a conspiracy that might hold the key to her past.

The trailer provides a glimpse into this thrilling narrative. At one point, a French policeman, played by Omar Sy, refers to Zee as the “Queen of the Dead” while she sits handcuffed. The remainder of the video elucidates why she has earned such an ominous title.

Nathalie Emmanuel, widely recognized for her portrayal of Missandei in HBO’s Game of Thrones, leads this action-packed story. Additionally, she is slated to appear in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis later this year. Sam Worthington, known for his role in James Cameron’s Avatar series, momentarily steps away from Pandora to join this project. Meanwhile, Omar Sy is no stranger to action, having starred in Netflix’s mystery thriller series Lupin.

John Woo’s previous project was the action thriller Silent Night, featuring Joel Kinnaman, released last year. With his first Hollywood venture being 1993’s Hard Target starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Woo has become synonymous with “gun-fu”—a choreographed, almost balletic style of gunfight conducted in close quarters. Following an almost two-decade hiatus from Hollywood, Woo focused on creating films in Asia.

The original The Killer was dedicated to one of Woo’s favorite directors, Martin Scorsese. For those who grew up in the ’90s, John Woo action films are almost nostalgic. His trademark slow-motion pan and the symbolic use of doves first made their appearance in The Killer and continued in later films like Hard Target, Mission: Impossible II, and Paycheck.

The stylistic techniques in Woo’s 1997 film Face/Off, starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, solidified his status as an iconic action filmmaker. Face/Off became one of the defining action films of the 1990s. If you haven’t seen it, the movie offers uniquely unforgettable moments, including a memorable twist on the song “Over the Rainbow.”

Another hallmark of John Woo’s style is the protagonist’s propensity to wield two guns simultaneously. As fans eagerly anticipate, this and other signature elements are expected to feature in the new version of The Killer. A personal favorite action trope to look out for is the classic face-to-face standoff.

Look out for these iconic trademarks when catching the trailer. The Killer begins streaming on Peacock starting August 23.

Source: Deadline