Some news have recently popped up as it pertains to remakes of two high-profile Asian action films, the Indonesian action thriller The Raid and Hong Kong crime action film The Killer.

Let’s start with The Raid, which the remake was developed shortly after the release of the original film. The original film involves a SWAT team who go to an apparently abandoned building complex that is actually inhabited by a deadly criminal, who convinces the squatters to take the SWAT team down. The film received major rave for its intricate action sequences, which consist of the Indonesian martial art of Silat courtesy of the film’s stunt team.

When the remake was announced, Brad Inglesby was to have written the script and a director was found in The Expendables 3‘s Patrick Hughes with Screen Gems set to distribute. The only confirmed casting was that of Frank Grillo, who is best known for his roles in the DirectTV series Kingdom, The Purge: Anarchy, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Taylor Kitsch was offered the role originated by lead star Iko Uwais, but opted to work on True Detective for HBO.

However, the latest word is that Hughes has departed the project as well as Screen Gems. Grillo is apparently still hopeful, as is the film’s producer XYZ Films, who are now on the hunt for a new director and a new distributor. It is still unclear if the Indonesian stunt team of Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian will return as the remake’s action directors as it was meant to have happened.

Now onto The Killer. The 1989 John Woo-directed film has been hailed as one of the best Hong Kong heroic bloodshed films thanks to its dynamic duo of Chow Yun-Fat as a seasoned hitman and Danny Lee as the tough cop who questions whether to trust the “killer”.

For years, a remake had been on the horizons in the development phases. At one point, Walter Hill (48 Hours) was apparently going to direct a Hollywood remake with Denzel Washington in one of the two pivotal roles. However, since then, the news of the remake has just faded way for the longest time…until earlier this week.

John Woo, who had helmed the original film, is still keen and hopeful of the remake. As a matter of fact, he practically has mentioned that he would love to return to Hollywood and direct the remake himself, which would be the most viable option. After making films in Hollywood for the course of fifteen years, Woo returned to making films in China, including the epic historical films Red Cliff and The Crossing.

Should Woo decide to ultimately return to helm the remake of The Killer, who should be cast as the hitman and the cop?

Stay tuned for any more developments involving the remakes of these two action hits.