5 stars who should be in a Hollywood remake of ‘Cold War 2 (寒战 II)’

“Cold War 2 (寒战 II)” grossed S$794,236 in just three days - enough to buy a fleet of 10 police cars (assuming your Fast Response Cars are all used Subaru Imprezas) to form your own Cold War police squad! You’d need to hire your own officers though. It has performed phenomenally, and achieved the No. 1 spot at the local box office, according to Encore Films.

So what’s the next step when your Hong Kong film is a runaway hit? Make an English Hollywood adaptation of it, what else?

After all, they did that to “Infernal Affairs (无间道)” and thankfully, changed the title to “The Departed” so it doesn’t sound like a movie about scandalous trysts in hell. You’ve also got “Ring (リング)” which kept its title when it became “The Ring,” and even “Godzilla.”

But what we’d want to know is who should act as Sean Lau (Aaron Kwok), MB Lee (Tony Leung), and the sneering Oswald Kan (Chow Yun-fat) in such a remake. So here are our picks for actors in a Hollywood remake of “Cold War 2 (寒战 II).”

Sean Bean. (The Mighty Bean)

1. Sean Bean as Sean Lau (played by Aaron Kwok)

Aaron Kwok as Sean Lau in “Cold War 2 (寒战II). (Encore Films)

Sean Bean dies in almost everything he stars in. That’s got to add some tension to the upright Sean Lau, since we all have that sinking feeling he’ll die if "Cold War 3 (寒战 III)” is ever made. Sean Bean’s also famous for playing noble men who die for their nobility, which again, sounds a lot like Sean Lau. I’m not saying he’ll die, but it would be the perfect end to such a trilogy.

Daniel Craig (Deadline)

2. Daniel Craig as MB Lee (played by Tong Leung)

Tony Leung as MB Lee in “Cold War 2 (寒战II). (Chinese Movies)

MB Lee has always been the morally ambiguous protagonist of the series, neither a real hero, nor a true villain. But villainy runs in his blood, as his offspring Joe Lee (Eddie Peng) has demonstrated. Daniel Craig has that sinister look to him which makes him perfect as the dubious MB Lee, since you can see him both as a thug and a police officer.

A pensive Morgan Freeman. (Salon)

3. Morgan Freeman as Oswald Kan (played by Chow Yun-fat)

Chow Yun-fat as Oswald Kan in "Cold War 2 (寒战II). (Channel Newsasia)

Morgan Freeman can’t do that twisted scowl that Chow Yun-fat does so well, but he has the presence to truly intimidate anyone near him. So he’d be the perfect foil to both Daniel Craig and Sean Bean, since they’ll have reason to fear him. Also, Morgan Freeman’s famous voice would sound amazing in court.

Sean Bean vs Andrew Garfield. (The Sun)

4. Andrew Garfield as Joe Lee (played by Eddie Peng)

Sean Lau (Aaron Kwok) vs Joe Lee (Eddie Peng) in "Cold War 2 (寒战II). (Encore Films)

Then there’s the minor antagonist Joe Lee, who should really be played by someone young but with enough range to convey angst without being emo. That’d be Andrew Garfield, whose long thin mouth makes him more suited to playing villains than heroes. He’d also be able to pull off all those mad chase sequences since he’s so tall and gangly. Just to give you an idea of what they’d look like, we’ve even managed to procure a picture of our two suggested actors squaring off!

Julianne Moore. (Al Bawaba)

5. Julianne Moore as Phoenix Leung (played by Charlie Young)

Charlie Young. (Alchetron)

Finally, we have the longsuffering Phoenix Leung who wants to be loyal to everyone but can’t. Julianne Moore’s performances in such conflicted roles places her as the perfect candidate for the part. She might even end up being the star of the show if Phoenix’s character is done right.

More importantly, we’ve got to figure out what to call the Hollywood remake of "Cold War 2 (寒战 II).” Should it be a one word title, like “Operation” or do we need to add a “The” in front, like “The Mission?” Or do we go with something more evocative like “Crossroads of Justice?” Perhaps a proverb fragment would be best like “Tempered By Mercy.”

What do you think a “Cold War 2 (寒战 II)” remake should be called in Hollywood?

“Cold War 2 (寒战 II)” opens 7 July, 2016 (Thursday).

Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.