Ke Huy Quan Turns ‘Badass’ Leading Man In Action-packed ‘Love Hurts’ Trailer (Exclusive)

“I never thought that one day I would be the lead actor in a major studio film,” the Oscar winner told PEOPLE.

After a career of iconic supporting roles and stunt work behind the camera, Ke Huy Quan is finally directing his own action comedy film.

love hurts stars Quan, 54, as “an unlikely hero, a seemingly kind real estate agent with a dark secret,” according to a Universal Pictures synopsis. As the newly released trailer reveals, their secret has an impact.

“I always fantasized about being number one on the call sheet or stepping into the lead role,” Quan tells PEOPLE, adding that love hurts it’s “the perfect movie” to do that.

“I never thought that one day I would be the lead actor in a big studio movie. So it’s an amazing feeling.”

Related: Ke Huy Quan presses Josh Brolin to name his favorite goonies Costar at the time of the surprise meeting

Starring fellow Oscar winner Quan costaring Ariana DeBose, the new film is directed by veteran stunt coordinator and fight coordinator JoJo Eusebio, making his directorial debut. Written by Luke Passmore, Josh Stoddard and Matthew Murray, it comes from 87North Productions, the company that broughtbullet trainiThe Fall Guyon the big screen.

The Everywhere Everything at once The star plays sunny Milwaukee real estate agent Marvin Gable, “stuck back in a world of ruthless hitmen, full of double crosses and open houses turned into deadly war zones,” according to the synopsis.

The character’s “volatile crime lord” brother Knuckles (played by Daniel Wu) forces Marvin to meet with DeBose’s Rose to “face the choices that haunt him and the history he never truly buried “, he concludes.

“When I first read the script, I was very confused,” says Quan. “Even though I thought it was a good script, I thought it was written for someone else. In fact, I even said, ‘You guys should call Jason Statham, not me.'”

Never miss a story: Sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date with the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

But speaking to Eusebio and husband-and-wife producing team David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, Quan “realized that what they were trying to create was a new kind of action star, not what we’re used to in the last few decades “. explains

“They wanted someone who can have a range, who isn’t afraid to be vulnerable,” she adds. “And at the same time, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy until the situation calls for it.”

Related: Ke Huy Quan: Michelle Yeoh ‘Guided Me’ In ‘Everything Everywhere’ – ‘It’s Been A Long Time’

As for his new co-star DeBose, 33, Quan says he’s joining this film with the West Side Story the star was something of a full circle moment.

They met during awards season earlier everywhereThe dominance of the Academy Awards 2023, remember. “I’ll never forget the moment he opened the envelope and said, ‘And the Oscar goes to…’ and announced my name with such excitement,” he recalls. “I think I loved her from that moment on.”

After accepting the trophy, she says, “I went up to give him a big hug and said, ‘Ari, I’d love to work with you.’ And little did I know, my first film after the Oscar is love hurts!”

love hurtsalso starring Marshawn Lynch, Mustafa Shakir, Cam Gigandet and Quan’s goonies co-starring Sean Astin, is in theaters on February 7.

For more Gent news, be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.