Lee Byung Hun is GIJoe’s StormShadow
The upcoming GIJoe movie might be wrought with debate over quality, but so far it looks like it will be a good popcorn film that will either dazzle or give us something to make fun of. It seems we are getting casting news about this movie’s iconic roles weekly, and now we hear that Korean film star Lee Byung Hun is cast as StormShadow.
Asian Fanatics says”
Korean wave star LEE Byung-hun is currently filming scenes in his Hollywood debut, G.I. Joe, an adaptation of the popular action-hero comic book series. LEE will play Storm Shadow, a ninja with a dark past who joins the G.I. Joe team.
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LEE is a popular star at home and all across Asia. He has starred in films such as Once in a Summer (2006), KIM Ji-woon’s A Bittersweet Life (2005) and KIM’s present project, The Good, The Bad, The Weird, which is this year’s most highly anticipated Korean film. LEE is also starring in a France-US co-production called I Come With the Rain, by Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung.
The news that Ray Parks would be SnakeEyes was fitting as the actor is best seen and not heard. As well SnakeEyes never spoke and was a formidable martial arts expert - something Ray Parks is also excellent at.
Every episode they could, they would face off SnakeEyes against the white pajama ninja StormShadow. Almost always facing a stalemate. These bitter enemies are HALF the reason they are even doing a GIJoe movie.
So who do they get to play his archnemesis? A Drama actor. Someone please tell me I missed something, but in every film I look up that Lee Byung Hun has been in, he is playing a dramatic role.
StormShadow must be played by a martial arts expert. Hell, I would settle for a convincing dancer.
10 Comments, Comment or Ping
Royal
I don’t care if the guy playing SS isn’t a martial arts expert. I’ve never seen SS without his ninja ‘mask’, except in an early flashback in the cartoon (I think). Besides, once the CG is done we won’t be able to notice who’s behind the mask, if anyone. I mean, the guy playing Yoda wasn’t an acrobat and yet look at what Yoda did in episode II and III! Shitte, that little booger can get down. ;)
Apr 7th, 2008
Omegawrath
I saw a clip of Lee kicking some serious boo-tay. He’s got what it takes.
Also, it’s bears mentioning that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow never once confroted each other in the original cartoons. That angle was never explored or even acknowledged.
The original Larry Hama comics were the gold.
Apr 7th, 2008
Jack Burton Says
Are you guys serious? This is old news. They released a press release announcing that Byung Hun had finished a day of shooting nearly two months ago. Wow. TheMovieBlog is going down the drain big time.
Apr 7th, 2008
Bob
This is old news
Apr 7th, 2008
Wolffman
Man leave the guys alone I havent heard of this yet. This movie looks like it will be as cheesy or cheesier then Transformers.
Apr 7th, 2008
Redona
Watch “A Bittersweet Life” and you’ll see that Byung Hun can fit the action role bit quite easily.
Apr 7th, 2008
matho
You’re kidding right? A dancer?
Apr 8th, 2008
Gareth
Storm Shadow joining the Joes? isnt suppose to be a Cobra Ninja?
Apr 8th, 2008
ChrisP
Lee Byun Hun can kick some ass. No one should be worried about him being able to play a ninja in a Hollywood flick.
Apr 8th, 2008
Ryan W
Or you could watch the movies he has been in and realize that a large majority of them are pretty fucking awesome. It seems to me instead of a dancer you would settle for a good actor, which he is. Shrug.
Apr 8th, 2008
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