Who was the first Korean male to star in a leading role in a Hollywood film? That would be RAIN, the Korean pop star known was the Justin Timberlake of Asia. We knew he was going to be big back in 2006 when he was voted #1 to the TIME 100 poll, beating out everyone else in the world that was thrown on the ballot. Fast forward three years later and we found RAIN kicking his way into Ninja Assassin, produced by the guys who brought the Matrix Trilogy. What RAIN represents is the future of entertainment because the economics dictate such. With the advent of digital undermining the traditional Hollywood business model, Hollywood has to seek out new ways to expand their reach and better monetize their products. Asia is the new frontier, but RAIN wasn’t necessarily the first guy to build that bridge to several billion people across the Pacific for Hollywood. There was of course Jackie Chan, Jet Li and others who found themselves as the first set of Asians in co-leading roles of big budget films. It’s obvious that Hollywood is trying to identify someone who has a huge following and leveraging their fame to expand their overall reach. What RAIN has done is open the possibilities for other Koreans to venture into Hollywood and perhaps someday, well be cheering on our version of Slumdog Millionaire. Someday we’ll look back and say that guys like John Cho and RAIN were the ones who put Koreans on the Hollywood radar, and that’s why RAIN is #3 on our top ten list of most influential Korean(-Americans) for 2009.

This is for the ladies as we close the chapter on RAIN since Ninja Assassin has opened and played to the world.  Here are pictures from an Allure magazine photo shoot which shows off the perfect abs.  Does anybody know the exact abs workout he did?  We’re looking high and wide for it and if we find it, we’ll certainly share it with all of you.

Ninja Assassin hasn’t gotten the best of reviews from film critics and we won’t find out how well it did in the theaters for another few days but what we do know is that there’s a lot of buzz for RAIN. It’s been reported that Hollywood is engaging RAIN and he’s already looking at a handful of scripts. If his fan base comes out in full force, and the movie does well with box office receipts, then you know Hollywood will give RAIN another try. CNN even took notice this week as they state that RAIN “has all the trimmings of an international superstar in the making.” Let it RAIN!

Brad Pitt was a bad ass in Fight Club and Gerard Butler was a tank in 300, but RAIN holds his own in Ninja Assassin.  So how did he build that physique?  A lot of fish, chicken and nuts.  And a workout that will kill’ya.  Check out his workout below.  It’s been suggested that since he hired the team that trained the 300 actors, that he must’ve gone through a similar training regimen like the one below.

• 25 pull-ups
• 50 deadlifts
• 50 push-ups
• 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
• 50 “floor wipers”
• 50 “clean and press” at 36 lb kettle bells
• 25 more pull-ups

Check out the workout video

Another video showing his training.

It has finally come, the week that “Ninja Assassin” opens up around the world.  The movie will be opening out in the U.S. on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.  So should you go or should you stay at home?  If you like RAIN and great fighting sequences, then buy that movie ticket.  If you want to support a Korean man in the lead role of a Hollywood action movie, then definitely go because this movie has a lot of ramifications. If you’ve watched the Matrix franchise, then you’ll see distinct plot elements that originated from the Wachowski brothers who produced Ninja Assassin and directed the Matrix movies.  And you’ll also see unique action direction from James McTeigue who is a student of the Wachowski brothers. The fighting is amazing! But what are the implications I mentioned earlier?

This movie does have implications and Hollywood is closely watching because there are certain realities that have Hollywood rethinking their business model.  Big movie stars used to almost guarantee big box office returns, but there have been enough clunkers from Will Ferrell, Tom Cruise and other big name actors that have caused pause.  DVD sales which used to be a cash cow and help counter clunkers is quickly eroding in the new digital world.  So what does Hollywood need to do to refine or change its model?  It looks overseas because there is a growing global box office.  This is why Ninja Assassin is important because it can demonstrate to Hollywood that you can cast an unknown in a lead role, especially Asian and have success because of the global market.  RAIN is one of Asia’s biggest pop stars and his ability to bring in international box office receipts will pave the way for other Asian stars to enter Hollywood and play critical roles.  If you didn’t know, Ninja Assassin is the big movie that’s kicking off the holiday movie season and it only cost $30M to make. The world is changing and Hollywood knows it and it’s realizing that the traditional model of casting and movie distribution has to change. Whether you like Ninja movies or not, let’s hope that the movie is a success and it paves the way for other Koreans and Asians in Hollywood.

For our interview with RAIN, check out the video below.

Check out the movie clips from Ninja Assassin. The fighting is real good!

This is one of the FIRST interviews published from the Ninja Assassin press junket.  We interviewed RAIN at The London Hotel in New York and it was a lot of fun meeting him and the director James McTeigue.  Rain and James were very personable and when RAIN realized that we were Korean, you could see him instantly relax.  He seemed very comfortable with us and quite enthusiastic and did not big time us.  After we had interviewed him, RAIN turned to the director and said, “I told you Koreans are humble.”  We’re guessing that comment was a reference to how overbearing the American media may be.  Afterwards, RAIN followed us out to the waiting area and just hung out next to us while we were packing our stuff.  Maybe he wanted to talk to someone in Korean because he was speaking English all day.  The funniest comment he made during the interview was that his character is “sexy.”  Check out the interview with RAIN.

We were invited to a private screening of “Ninja Assassin” and there is one word to describe this action flick: BLOODY! This movie has more blood than a lot of horror flicks. More importantly: What about the movie? What about RAIN? If you’re looking for great fight scenes, then this movie will motivate you to sign up for a Kung Fu class because it’s the best fighting sequences since ….. I can’t remember.  There really hasn’t been any good martial art flicks in a long time.  Fans of martial arts and fighting will be very impressed by James McTeigue’s direction.  He does an incredible job of directing and sequencing some brilliant fighting, making many enthusiasts very happy.

RAIN is very believable as a Ninja because he’s built like a killing machine and his martial arts technique is impeccable. However, we’re not necessarily authorities in martial arts. Btw, will someone out there find us RAIN’s workout regimen because he is stacked! RAIN definitely kicked ass when he was fighting and had that bad ass look, but his lines were limited to single sentences. There were no long Al Pacino soliloquies or speeches; just quick responses and one liners from RAIN. He was very monotone but I guess that’s how Ninja’s speak – without much emotion. He did have some funny one liners that got a chuckle out of the viewing audience. But the audience spent more time leaning back in their chair because of the numerous bloody scenes.

So what about the movie? Is it worth watching? The plot itself is a bit thin and the use of flashbacks is used quite liberally which disrupts the continuity of the film, but what saves this film is the fighting sequences. In fact, the audience probably wanted more of it because they were so well choreographed. I kinda wished it had the pacing of “Speed” and had more insights into the ways of a Ninja. Don’t expect a classic like Enter the Dragon but rather an entertaining martial arts flick filled with a lot of blood and blades but thin on plot.

What’s fascinating about this movie is that it’s opening up as the big holiday movie during Thanksgiving weekend (Nov 25th opening) and it’s a movie that’s dominated by Asian faces. Is America ready to watch a bunch of Asians for a couple hours? Naomie Harris has a big role but it’s RAIN and a lot of other Asian brothers in high definition. Though Ninja Assassin is a martial arts flick, it’s really the first movie since the Bruce Lee franchise to have an Asian man in the lead role of a Hollywood made film. It’s important for it to succeed commercially to get more Asians in front of the camera.

Ninja Assassin follows Raizo (Rain), one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge.

In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.

It’s getting closer to the opening of Ninja Assassin on Thanksgiving.  There’s obviously a lot of fighting and blood.  What would you expect from a movie with the words “Ninja” and “Assassins?”  Here’s a six minute clip with six fight scenes from the movie.

Ninja Assassin is coming soon to a theater near you during Thanksgiving.  A new video clip was released this week and the fighting looks pretty damn good. We’re getting excited!

In previous columns and articles, we had kept mentioning the increasing numbers of Koreans (from South Korea or Korean-American) breaking into Hollywood and it looks like Newsweek has taken notice of this trend as well.  In an article titled “Korea Takes Hollywood,” Newsweek magazine (issue dated November 16) writes about the increasing importance of Korea as a new or emerging market for Hollywood because at the end of the day, it’s always about the money.  However, it does go beyond money and they’ve also noticed the talent pool of actors and directors.   Most recently, Koreans have penetrated Hollywood with significant roles like John Cho in Star Trek and FlashForward and Lee Byung Hun in G.I. Joe.  How about leading roles?  Kpop star RAIN will be the first Korean to be in the lead role of a major Hollywood studio film in the upcoming “Ninja Assassin,” and the cast includes other Koreans: Sung Kang and Rick Yune. On a side note, we’ll be at a private screening for Ninja Assassin and meeting up with RAIN later this week.

So what’s the challenge?  It goes both ways as the article illustrates.  To many Asian actors are typecast for martial art flicks.  And for the Korean actors, it’s a risk to come to Hollywood, even though it’s the biggest entertainment market in the world.  Those risks include alienating themselves from the South Korean market and losing out on opportunities,  as well as losing creative freedoms which potentially could be limited by big Hollywood studios.  There are certainly risks but more importantly, the Korean wave is continuing and people are noticing.

For our articles on the  Korean wave, you can check out a few past articles.

• Koreans Own Thursday Night TV
• Why are there more male actors?
• Korean Wave Into Hollywood

For the full Newsweek article, click here.