Gareth Evans' The Raid is rightly considered an action movie classic, and Deadline is now reporting that Netflix is set to reimagine the franchise with some big names attached behind the scenes. Evans will return to executive produce a fresh take that's tapped Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard) to direct and Michael Bay to produce.
Yes, that Michael Bay.
It's an odd fit, but Bay will only produce as Hughes is co-writing the script with James Beaufort. Attempts to reboot The Raid have been ongoing for years, since a third instalment of the original series simply never came to fruition (and probably won't now this reboot is moving forward).
According to the trade, this version of The Raid is going to be set in Philadelphia's drug-infested "Badlands," where an elite undercover DEA task force climbs a ladder of cartel informants to catch an elusive kingpin.
"We’re incredibly excited about Patrick’s unique vision for this film," the producers said today. "It’s a distinctly original take on the material, which promises to pay great respect to the original film while also bringing a fresh approach and perspective that will set its own course in the action genre."
After the last attempted reboot fell apart, Bay and Hughes were connected and quickly hit it off. Evans appears to be fully on board with the direction they hope to take the franchise in, and Netflix ultimately managed to land what could be another popular franchise for the streamer. It's still too early to talk about the cast and release date, but it should be well worth keeping an eye on this take on The Raid.