The highly acclaimed Indian action film Kill is getting an English-language remake from 87Eleven Entertainment, the production company behind the John Wick franchise and upcoming Highlander film.
Lionsgate Film Group Chairman Adam Fogelson announced the remake ahead of the much-anticipated global theatrical release of the original Hindi-language film, which rolls out on July 4. This version is written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Guneet Monga Kapoor, and Achin Jain.
"Kill is one of the most vivid, wild, and creative action movies I've seen recently," said 87Eleven Entertainment's Chad Stahelski, the revered director behind all four mainline John Wick movies. "Nikhil delivers relentless action sequences that need to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. It's exciting to be developing an English-language version — we have big shoes to fill, and I'm looking forward to working with Nikhil, Karan, Apoorva, Guneet, and Achin to achieve that."
Stahelski signed a deal with Lionsgate at the start of the year to assume creative oversight of the entire John Wick and Highlander franchises across all platforms. He later finalized a multi-year, first-look production deal with the studio and his production company, 87Eleven Entertainment, to produce original action fare.
Kill premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023, where it was first runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness. Lionsgate later acquired distribution rights to the film for North America and the UK and scheduled it for release in association with Roadside Attractions.
"When we made Kill with Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, we dreamed of global love and seeing North American theaters chant 'Kill! Kill! Kill!' was like seeing that vision come alive," the producers recalled. "As we approach our global release, we are thrilled that 87Eleven Entertainment will produce a remake of our film in English. Partnering with Lionsgate, the award-winning studio behind genre-defining action movies, has been incredibly gratifying. This announcement, coming before the original film's release, is unprecedented and a big win for Indian cinema. We are truly honored."
The trailers for the film have been brutal and gory, with the blood-splattered Red Band trailer giving the best look yet at the adrenaline-fuelled thrill ride, which sees Amrit (Lakshya) embarking on a death-defying kill-spree after his true love Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) boards the Rajdhani Express bound for an arranged marriage.
Kill opens in US theaters on July 4, 2024, and in UK cinemas on July 5, 2024.
Cover image credit: Roadside Attractions.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter here.
