Screen Gems has acquired remake rights for “The Raid,” the Indonesian action movie written and directed by Gareth Evans.
The remake will be produced by XYZ Films, which produced the original. Evans will exec produce but will not write or direct this new English-language film.
Screen Gems, which made the announcement Wednesday, said the original film’s fight choreographers will also be involved with the remake.
“The Raid” tells the story of an elite SWAT team that becomes trapped in a tenement run by a notorious drug lord, his two highly violent martial arts killers and a personal militia armed with machetes and machine guns. Stranded on the sixth floor, the SWAT unit must fight their way out.
Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper will oversee the remake.
Evans, who lives in Jakarta, wrote and directed the project, which takes place in a hideout for the world’s most dangerous killers. Los Angeles-based production and sales outfit XYZ Films exec produced alongside producers Ario Sagantoro and PT Merantau Films.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions picked up U.S. rights for “The Raid” from Celluloid Nightmares during the Cannes Film Festival. Pic was also sold to multiple territories including Canada, the U.K., Australia, France, Germany and Japan.
“The Raid” won the audience award in September at the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness sidebar.
