Monday, November 23

• Rain Discusses Training To Be a Ninja Assassin

  While out promoting Ninja Assassin, director James McTeigue lauded the "incredible discipline" of his movie's star, Ji-Hoon (Rain) Jung. McTeigue said that Rain trained to get into fighting shape "for five or six months."

  In a recent interview with Latino Review, Rain corrected McTeigue's statement, saying that his training was even more intense, lasting "eight months, five days a week, eight hours a day."

  There is no wire, no camera tricks. I had to make my body fit like Bruce Lee.

  Rain said that he does not have formal martial arts training — except for studying tae kwon do when he was 10 — but that he learned "a lot of martial arts" to star in the movie, including "tai chi, ninja techniques, karate ... a lot."

  As for learning how to play the role of a ninja, Rain said that inspiration wasn't hard to find.

  From when I was young I loved martial arts films so I love ninja, ninja techniques ... you know, in Asia, there's so many ninja films so I saw a lot of ninja films.

  
  
  Next Showing: Ninja Assassin opens November 25
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Rain stars - releasing Nov. 25, 2009

  Posted 11/23/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: James McTeigue | Ji-Hoon (Rain) Jung | Ninja Assassin

Saturday, November 21

• James McTeigue Discusses Ninja Assassin

  Digital effects have become a mainstay of Hollywood action movies these days and director James McTeigue's (V for Vendetta) latest movie, Ninja Assassin, is no exception. However, in a recent interview with Coming Soon, McTeigue said that many of the weapons were real and that the movie's lead, Korean pop star Rain, trained "for five or six months," and that he had "incredible discipline."

  Rain in the movie uses this blade and chain weapon, but when we're training him, it's with an actual martial arts weapon called the rope dart, so he trained with that so he knew how to swing it around, because then ultimately when you get into it, you need something for him to physically use. He'll use that, and the visual FX guys will put tracking markers on it, so that way, it gives the stunt guys something to react to and then we'll replace it later. But with swords and katanas and other things, sometimes we'll use bamboo painted silver for example, they're actually real sometimes.

  Many critics have commented on how violent and bloody the movie is, but McTeigue said that he didn't have any problem with the MPAA ratings board.

  When we submitted the movie, we said, "Look, it's really stylized." In no way is this Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer or one of those movies that's so extreme it's meant to make you feel sick. This is like a game, it is like anime, it is like a comic book. I think they saw it as that, so henceforth, they gave me an R-rating and if you look at the ratings card, it goes "For stylized violence and blood." I think they got it.

  
  
  Next Showing: Ninja Assassin opens November 25
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Follows, from boy to man, a deadly assassin

  Posted 11/21/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: James McTeigue | Ji-Hoon (Rain) Jung | Ninja Assassin | Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Thursday, September 10

• New Ninja Assassin Clip a Traffic Violation

  While director James McTeigue won't admit he's directing the next Superman, he is working on Ninja Assassin, an upcoming bloody and violent action movie starring Korean pop star Rain. The movie follows a rogue assassin who joins an Interpol agent to bring down a clan of, well, ninja assassins. The latest clip shows off the movie's fight choreography and stunt work. Check it out below:

  
  
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Releasing Nov. 25, 2009

  Posted 09/10/2009 by Ryan

  Related: James McTeigue | Ji-Hoon (Rain) Jung | Ninja Assassin