Here’s a surprising development. Filming has quietly concluded in Wales on Gareth Evans’ new film, “A Colt Is My Passport,” a modern take on the 1960s Nikkatsu Yakuza thriller. We didn’t even know it was shooting! The Amazon MGM Studios/Orion Pictures project has been kept largely under the radar. Leading the cast is Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (“Gangs of London”), joined by Tim Roth (“Pulp Fiction”), Jack Reynor (“Midsommar”), Lucy Boynton (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), and Victor Alli (Bridgerton).
The story transports Takashi Nomura’s original hardboiled tale to Detroit in 1978, following Colt, a Vietnam War veteran turned contract killer, who must flee after taking out a crime boss. The screenplay comes from Chris Webb, a veteran of Evans’ stunt teams on “Havoc” and “The Apostle.”
Evans only got around to watching ‘Colt’ for the first time during the pandemic when he discovered it streaming on the Criterion Channel, “and quickly fell in love.” He later introduced the film at the 2023 L’Etrange Festival, where he also shared a heartfelt write-up in its honor. He’s been geeking out on it ever since, even posting on social media his purchase of the original poster.
Evans’ body of work stretches beyond “The Raid” and “The Raid 2” to include projects like “Apostle” and this year’s “Havoc,” starring Tom Hardy, a film that took almost four years from shoot to release. No such thing has occured on “A Colt Is My Passport,” which has moved far more swiftly— the film now appears on track for a 2026 release. Fingers crossed that, unlike Netflix’s handling of “Havoc,” Amazon gives it a proper theatrical rollout.