Summary
The director ofThe Raidfilms, Gareth Evans, is working on a new action movie calledHavoc– and it could be the perfect replacement forThe Raid 3. The action-packed plot ofHavockicks off when a drug deal goes horribly awry.Tom Hardywill play a detective who has to uncover a city-wide conspiracy while he fights his way through the criminal underworld to save a politician’s estranged son. Evans is directing from a script he wrote and he’s also producing the film alongside Hardy, Ed Talfan, and Aram Tertzakian.
Ever since he directedThe Raidand its sequel, Evans has been one of the most revered filmmakers working in the action genre.The Raidfranchise’s blood-soaked, high-octane fight scenes rank among the greatest ever filmed. Evans’ visceral direction ofThe Raidmovies helped to inspire a wave of uncompromisingly brutal action thrillers likeJohn Wick,Atomic Blonde,Extraction, andThe Night Comes for Us. His return to the action genre makesHavocone of the most exciting upcoming movies.
Tom Hardy’s Havoc Will Be Gareth Evans' First Action Movie Since The Raid 2
Evans is returning to the action genre after a decade away
Havocwill be Evans’ first full-on action movie since he madeThe Raid 2a decade ago. AfterThe Raid 2, Evans switched his attention to a different genre and helmed the 2018 gothic folk horror filmApostle, which was a drastic creative departure fromThe Raidfilms. Since then, Evans has also worked on the crime thriller seriesGangs of London, based on the video game of the same name, which premiered in 2020.Gangs of Londonwas a lot more action-focused thanApostle, but it’s still not an all-out action extravaganza likeThe Raidmovies.
Evans hasn’t made an action movie sinceThe Raid 2.Havocwill mark his return to the genre that put him on the map. And given just how great he is at directing action – and how mind-blowing the best action sequences inThe Raidfranchise are – that’s very exciting. It’s like if Steven Spielberg went back to make another shark movie or if Ridley Scott went back to make another futuristic noir;Evans is in his element in the action genre.
Evans first made his name with the 2009 martial arts actionerMerantau.
What’s Going On With Havoc?
It’s supposedly been finished for years but still hasn’t been released
Way back in 2021,Netflix confirmedHavocwas in the works. It was announced thatEvans would directHavocfrom a script he wrote under his exclusive deal with Netflix. Hardy was tapped to lead a star-studded cast featuring such screen legends as Forest Whitaker, Timothy Olyphant, and Luis Guzmán in supporting roles.Principal photography began in Cardiff in July 2021and it was declared to be one of the biggest movies ever to be produced in Evans’ native Wales. Filming officially wrapped in October 2021, but now,nearly three years later, the movie still hasn’t been released.
There were reports thatHavochad been completed and was just awaiting its release. However, there were conflicting reports that there have been delays to the film’s release. There were further reports that the film had gone into reshoots. It was expected to be released sometime in 2023, but that didn’t happen. Now, it’s halfway through 2024 andHavocis still no closer to arriving on Netflix. The streamer hasn’t confirmed a release date forHavoc– or even a release window – and there isn’t as much as a teaser trailer to promote the film.
Why The Raid 3 Never Happened
Evans moved on to different projects
Although the first twoThe Raidfilms were really successful,The Raid 3never happened. Ahead ofThe Raid 2’s release, Evans said thatThe Raid 3was in the works and it would pick up a couple of hours before the end ofThe Raid 2. However, in a later interview, Evans said he wanted to take a break from martial arts movies for a few years before working onThe Raid 3. Evans, of course, did take that break from the genre and it ended up lasting more than a few years.
Evans later said that he had no plans forThe Raid 3.He felt that the franchise concluded in a satisfying way withThe Raid 2, and after moving back to the UK, he felt like he’d closed that chapter of his life and was instead looking to explore new projects. So, it doesn’t seem likeThe Raid 3will ever get made. But I don’t mind not getting aRaid 3ifHavocis every bit as thrilling and action-packed asThe Raid 3would’ve been.
