Keanu Reeves has landed his first starring role on television.
Deadline is reporting that Reeves has signed on to produce and star in “Rain,” a TV series adaptation of the novels by Barry Eisler. Reeves will portray the title character, John Rain, “a half-Japanese, half-American contract assassin who specializes in taking out his targets by making it look like death by natural causes.”
The official description goes on to call Rain “An outsider in whatever world he’s in, Rain ironically finds that the one identity he knows – that of being a hitman – is the very thing that prevents him from bringing others closer into his life.”
Reeves is best known for starring in The Matrix trilogy and the Bill & Ted movies, in addition to his leading roles in The Replacements, Constantine, Speed, The Devil’s Advocate, Man of Tai Chi and 47 Ronin. The last time that Reeves had a regular role on television was for the “Bill & Ted” animated series in 1990.
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The “Rain” TV series doesn’t appear to have a network yet, but it is being distributed by Slingshot Global Media. Eisler and Reeves will both be executive producers of “Rain” alongside Chad Stahelski and David Leitch.
In a statement, Slingshot Media founder David Ellender said “We are extremely excited to be working on a beloved property with such a talented and hard-working actor as Keanu. This series will be the launch pad for the company and highlight our talent-focused, quality-based approach within the ever-changing and expanding television space.”
The Deadline report notes that a search for a “Rain” screenwriter is currently underway and the series will be pitched to the networks in the near future.
