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Iko Uwais and Albert Hughes Unite for Multi-Generational Crime Series ‘Jakarta’ at ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Outfit Alcon Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)
Actor Iko Uwais is set to lead "Jakarta," a new multi-generational crime series in development at Alcon Television Group, the studio behind "Blade Runner 2049" and "The Expanse." Director Albert Hughes is in negotiations to helm the pilot and serve as producing director, reuniting him with writer Kirk Ward after their previous collaboration on "John Wick" prequel series "The Continental." The project pairs Ward's television drama background with Hughes's feature filmmaking pedigree, and is being pitched as a grounded, visceral crime epic.
The series, co-written by Ward and Joshua W. Wagner with Ward also serving as showrunner, is set in Jakarta as Indonesia's capital grapples with rapid globalisation, drawing on Uwais's action credentials from films such as "The Raid," "Mile 22" and "The Expend4ables." Uwais will executive produce through his Uwais Pictures banner with Ryan Santoso, alongside Hughes, Ward, Wagner and Alcon's Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson and Ben Roberts. Uwais also has other projects in the pipeline, including Indonesian action thriller "Warrior" (Pendekar) and "Road House 2" opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, while Alcon is currently in post-production on Prime Video's "Blade Runner 2099."
In short
- Iko Uwais to star in new crime series "Jakarta" at Alcon
- Albert Hughes in talks to direct pilot, reuniting with "Continental" writer
- Series set in Jakarta amid rapid globalisation; Uwais also producing
Explained simply
Iko Uwais is an Indonesian action actor best known for films including "The Raid" and "Mile 22," in which he performs his own intense martial arts sequences. He is set to lead "Jakarta," a new television series in development set in Indonesia's capital, following a multi-generational crime narrative. This project marks his transition into leading a major television drama.
Director Albert Hughes and writer Kirk Ward previously collaborated on "The Continental," a prequel series to the "John Wick" franchise. They are developing "Jakarta" at Alcon Television Group, the studio behind prestige projects including "Blade Runner 2049" and "The Expanse." Their involvement signals ambition to blend cinematic filmmaking with television storytelling.
The series explores crime across multiple generations as Jakarta grapples with rapid globalisation and social change. This setting and timespan allow the narrative to examine how transformation affects different communities and eras within the city. The project reflects broader industry interest in internationally-set stories created by filmmakers with cultural connection to the regions they depict.
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