John Woo is remaking this

John Woo Directing Yakuza Film Day of the Beast
Apparently everyone has suddenly developed a fascination with the Yakuza, the Japanese criminal underworld. Like Snow White and killer asteroids before them, the Yakuza is the subject of not one, not two, but three major Hollywood production at the moment. Now you can add John Woo to the mix of films about a Westerner infiltrating the notoriously xenophobic world of the violent Yakuza.

Woo will direct “Day of the Beast”, a remake of Seijun Suzuki’s 1963 film, “Youth of the Beast”, which followed a violent thug pitting the Yakuza against one another. In the remake, a western outsider “with a grim past … becomes embroiled in a global turf war between a vicious new breed of Yakuza and old school Cold War Russian mobsters.”

We are promised “an action-packed saga of loyalty, revenge and redemption which erupts in the heart of Tokyo.” And insane gun-fu, let’s not forget. This is John Woo, after all. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen John Woo indulge in a little gun-fu. It’s about damn time.

Woo will direct and produce along with his Lion Rock Productions partner Terence Chang. Says Chang about remaking the 1963 film:

Seijun Suzuki’s Youth of the Beast is one of my favorite films, and I have been obsessed with remaking it for over 10 years! I have to thank Nikkatsu for this partnership and for making this dream come true!

Nikkatsu is the company that owns the original, and will co-produce with the Lion Rock boys.

“Day of the Beast” will be shot in English with an eye toward an International audience. Rob Frisbee wrote the script.