Jung Ji Hoon * 정지훈 * 鄭智薰 * (aka Rain/Bi / 비 / ピ) I [Upcoming Drama 2024] Red Swan

[willenette]

November 9, 2009

Rain Fueled by 'Fury' for 'Ninja Assassin'

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff Reporter

For his first Hollywood lead role in ``Ninja Assassin,'' Rain had to forget he was a pop star and trained alongside stuntmen for six hours a day, over six months ― all when he could have been comfortably playing sweet TV roles or dancing onstage for staunch Asian fans.

His secrets to achieving zero percent body fat? Anti-fans and mom, said the 27-year-old in a crowded press conference Monday in Seoul.

``There were many times when I wanted to return to Korea, where I could be busy giving concerts and starring in TV dramas and movies. I seriously contemplated it many times over the eight months (of shooting `Ninja Assassin.'),'' said Rain, who showed off his build in a fitted double-breasted suit.

But he stayed because he had made a promise to fans, and also because of his pride.

His trainers, who are now like family, would provoke him, saying that Matt Damon or Brad Pitt outperformed him in lifting 100-kilogram weights.

``I would also wake up in the morning and flip through the `very nice' newspaper articles that criticized me and read negative comments from anti-fans,'' he said about feeling compelled to prove himself. ``I thought I had to show that I can make a debut in the United States rather than just talk about it.''

The modern martial arts flick is the South Korean superstar's second collaboration with the creators of ``The Matrix'' series. He made his Hollywood debut in ``Speed Racer,'' which was directed by the Wachowski brothers, and assumes his first lead role in the upcoming film, which is produced by the talented brothers and directed by James McTeigue (``V for Vendetta'').

This is also the first time a local star is playing the title role in a major Hollywood franchise.

He said he pulled off 90 percent of the stunt roles, using minimal wire support. He was hurt on many occasions, and though he didn't break any bones he bears ``many scars of honor.''

Thinking about his late mother, however, fueled his ``passion'' for the project.

``My mother used to wake up at 5 a.m. every day and would work all day, come home at midnight and go to sleep at 1 or 2 in the morning. She did this for many years to support me and my sister. I thought if I can't survive this I can't do anything. This is the beginning of a new stage in my life and I cannot afford to be lazy,'' he said.

``I heard people get three chances in life, and I've had my three: first when I met (music producer JYP or Park) Jin-young, second when I met the Wachowski brothers through `Speed Racer' and third, when they offered me the part for `Ninja Assassin,''' he said.

``I'd be lying if I didn't wish the movie to be a box office success, because everyone worked so hard. But regardless of the results this has opened a lot of doors for me, and I hope it will also open more opportunities for Asian actors, and particularly Korean actors,'' he said, since Asians still have ``a low success rate'' in Tinseltown.

In addition to Rain, the movie stars Korean-American actors Randall Duk Kim and Rick Yune.

Rain plays the role of Raizo, an orphan who is trained by a secret ninja clan to become a deadly killer. But when Raizo witnesses the murder of his good friend, he turns his back on his clan and plots revenge. When asked if he could relate to his character, he said he hopes he has nothing in common with such an introverted, violent persona but hopes fans will discover a new side to his conventional image.

Rain will continue his promotional tour Nov. 11 to 22 across the U.S., including New York and Los Angeles. He will then visit Hong Kong Nov. 28 and 29, Jakarta, Indonesia on Dec. 3 and finally Shanghai through the following week of December.

Meanwhile, the pop singer will hold concerts in the U.S. for the first time in three years next month, Dec. 24 and 25 at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas.

The movie, rated 18 and over, will open in theaters Nov. 26. 98 minutes. Distributed by Warner Brothers Korea.

hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr

Credit : Korea Times

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2.../141_55151.html

[Guest MBLAQ_Joonie]

091109 Rain's New Message - Greeting to fans before leaving Korea

----> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ_HGLF1muA

sr: JungYuRi @ rain-cloud

[Eng trans]

Hi, everyone. This is Rain.

Finally, Ninja Assassin is coming out upcoming 25th.

Hope you to love it a lot.

I saw the buses wrapped with my appearance in the movie.

My photos on the buses can be attributed to all of you.

I was deeply moved by what it will be an opportunity to generate publicity for the movie,

and thank you very much indeed and thank you for presenting me a T shirt with a hood.

Since it's getting colder and colder, please be careful with your health.

I'll come back home after successfully finishing my overseas promotion and Asia Tour concert.

Thank you..

~~~ Thanks rain-bird for translating ~~~~

[Guest angelordevil]

091109 Y Star_Ninja Assasin Press conference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvvEX0xvDwQ

credit: happyyouyou1@YT

[willenette]

091109 Rain's New Message - Greeting to fans before leaving Korea

----> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ_HGLF1muA

sr: JungYuRi @ rain-cloud

http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/570/HS0.4162448_26291_1.jpg

[Eng trans]

Hi, everyone. This is Rain.

Finally, Ninja Assassin is coming out upcoming 25th.

Hope you to love it a lot.

I saw the buses wrapped with my appearance in the movie.

My photos on the buses can be attributed to all of you.

I was deeply moved by what it will be an opportunity to generate publicity for the movie,

and thank you very much indeed and thank you for presenting me a T shirt with a hood.

Since it's getting colder and colder, please be careful with your health.

I'll come back home after successfully finishing my overseas promotion and Asia Tour concert.

Thank you..

~~~ Thanks rain-bird for translating ~~~~

Hi MBLAQ, thanks for sharing the translation of his message here. Oh my, he's so sweet to leave a message before he leaves for US on the 11th. So nice to know that he's aware of all the publicities of his movie around Korea & other places. Gosh, Clouds gave him again some stuff. We're sure that he's going to wear this when he's in US soon. You also take care, RAIN! Good luck! Also, thanks for sharing here the video clip & the captures from this video.

[Guest angelordevil]

09-11-09 Rain@ NINJA ASSASSIN Press conference (Hankooki.com)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5MoKkHUX3c

09 11 09 NINJA ASSASSIN Press conference DongA TV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TojohZja4E8

09 11 09 Rain@ NINJA ASSASSIN Press conference (SSTV2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0tXLZh3DPc

091109 Rain@ NINJA ASSASSIN Press conference (SSTV)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xvqd-YoI9Q

09-11-09 Rain@ NINJA ASSASSIN Press conference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=377SlMQrmSI

[Guest angelordevil]

more pics

credit: as tagged

more pics

credit: as tagged

from:baidu||rainvietnam

[Guest angelordevil]

more pics

credit: as tagged

from:baidu||rainvietnam

091109 YTN _Ninja Assasin Press conference_1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjRBCDzF2LU

091109 YTN _Ninja Assasin Press conference_2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpWBeWeso7k

091109 YTN _Ninja Assasin Press conference_3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN2GX93ZIkg

credit: happyyouyou1@YT

[Guest tyty6_7]

something to share

Popularity meter of Ninja assassin and Rain for this week

MOVIEmeter: Up 151% in popularity this week (Last week 19%)

STARmeter (RAIN): Up 95% in popularity this week (Last week 9%)

from imdb.com

---------------------

It seems that they are speeding up the promotions for the last stage....

[Guest Kicia]

You can see here clearly all VIPs at the NA premiere What`s more we know where Rain sat

091109_ Mnet_Wide Ent. News_Ninja Assassin VIP premiere in Seoul+Asia Press Con+Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf6GLSaA7sk&feature=sub

cr: scorpiolabi@youtube

[Guest tyty6_7]

The Five: Must-See Movies in November

By: Erik Davis on November 5, 2009 at 1:53PM Comments (6)

In these tough economic times it's hard to decide which movies to spend your hard-earned dollars on, which is why I've come along at the beginning of the month to save the day (kinda like Superman, only slightly overweight and balding) by giving you a list of five must-see movies hitting theaters at some point over the next 30 days. While I can't fully vouch for their awesomeness, advance buzz and my non-existent superhuman spidey sense should be enough to go by…I think…and hope. Check it:

A Christmas Carol (November 6th)

The month of November begins with a Christmas movie, yes, but it's one that's directed by the great Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forest Gump) and it stars the hilarious Jim Carrey as several different characters in this mo-capped version of the classic Charles Dickens tale. While the content may not be new, expect the kids to have a blast with the same fantastical visuals used for movies like Beowulf, The Polar Express and Tim Burton's upcoming version of Alice in Wonderland.

Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire (November 6th, Limited)

Though it's definitely not the easiest movie to digest (and trust me when I say you won't want to watch it twice), Precious is one of the only films of 2009 so far that you could call a lock for multiple Oscar nods. The Sundance break-out film follows the rough-and-tough life of an overweight pregnant teen trying to navigate her way toward a better future for her and her unborn child while overcoming gut-wrenching obstacles like abuse and illiteracy.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (November 20th/Limited, November 25th/Wide)

From the eccentric mind of Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) comes this funky adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl tale about a group of farmers who, fed up with losing their chickens, go after a sly Fox and his family. The film marks 20th Century Fox's first foray into stop-motion animation, and the cast packs a ton of star power with voice work from George Clooney, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Meryl Streep and Owen Wilson, among others.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (November 20th)

Obviously this is the biggest film of the month on paper, so how can we not recommend seeing what all the fuss is about. Critics were a little hard on the first Twilight film, claiming it was too lightweight for a vampire flick – but now the budget is higher, the cast is greater, the directors are more experienced -- and, since the books increasingly get darker, we should expect The Twilight Saga: New Moon to serve up some tasty treats toward the end of November.

Ninja Assassin (November 25th)

In terms of the month's most action-packed movie, look no further than Ninja Assassin – which was produced by the Wachowski Bros. (who brought us the Matrix trilogy), and looks to pack more punches than all of this year's martial arts movies combined. The cast features Asian pop star-turned-actor Rain as a rogue ninja who helps track down a former ally guilty of committing a series of grisly murders. Action buffs looking to increase their heart rate f

or two hours won't want to miss this flick when it drop-kicks its way into theaters in just a few weeks.

http://www.fandango.com/movieblog/five-mus...ber-585473.html

[Guest bbly]

I am not saying that everybody has to love NA, hey everyone is entitled to their opinion (anyway, I will have my own opinion after watching the movie) but what really makes me wonder is how some people are complaining or critisicing Rain's cold and emotionless expressions, the plot, the lack of dialogues, the amount of blood, the darkness. I am then wondering do they know what a martial art movie is about, what ninjas are! Hello? We speak of an action movie here and not some romantic comedy! No matter what they write and how much the "press" tries to put the movie down, they can't and won't stop it from being huge and of Rain being on the top of the game!!!!

Those pics of the press conference have everything that a fan can ask and wish for: Rain smiling, Rain laughing, Rain being shy, Rain biting his lips, Rain playing with his tongue in his cheek, Rain being serious .... but those 2 pics for some reason just captured me and Rain's beauty made me once again breathless:

http://imgnews.naver.com/image/277/2009/11...48092982A_1.jpg

http://photo-media.daum-img.net/200911/09/...09125108469.jpg

[Guest Kicia]

7 Nov 2009 - Mnet RainyDay 50

---- :lol:

-- Big Fish and now that ???

source: 3asian clubbox

capture: rainkum

from: rain-cloud

[willenette]

7 Nov 2009 - Mnet RainyDay 50

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad80/raizo625/G1.gif

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad80/raizo625/2.jpg

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad80/raizo625/4.jpg

source: 3asian clubbox

capture: rainkum

from: rain-cloud

Hi Kicia, thanks for posting all these candid photos. I love these gifs. He's just so adorable.

[willenette]

You can see here clearly all VIPs at the NA premiere What`s more we know where Rain sat

091109_ Mnet_Wide Ent. News_Ninja Assassin VIP premiere in Seoul+Asia Press Con+Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf6GLSaA7sk&feature=sub

cr: scorpiolabi@youtube

Kicia, thanks for sharing this video clip. I love this clip - it's longer & complete. Wow, I heard him again spoke in English here - & how he improves......... Finally, I saw Hyori - just curious of what she said in the video. And ye, RAIN sat beside his FH co-star.

________________________________

*** I’m so thankful for Wachowski brothers that they have trusted RAIN for their 2-films. I really couldn’t compare him with Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan since he still has to crave a name in Hollywood. Besides, nobody is alike, RAIN has his own style.

***********************

[11-09] Rain's ninja role draws inspiration from Lee, Chan

source:http://www.google.com/hostednews ... FGg7KM1D3wD9BRTMRO0

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean pop star Rain says he drew inspiration from fellow Asian stars who successfully crossed over to Hollywood when he prepared for his first leading role in an American film.

"I watched a lot of action films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan to create a different, unique character in the movie," the 27-year-old actor-singer said Monday at a press conference in his home country to promote "Ninja Assassin."

Jeong Ji-hoon, who goes by his stage name Rain, was first recognized in the region for his singing and slick dance moves. He first gained exposure in the West when Stephen Colbert parodied one of his music videos on his show, "The Colbert Report," in May 2007, which led to a second spoof — a "dance-off" with the U.S. comedian. He made his Hollywood debut alongside Emile Hirsch in Andy and Larry Wachowski's 2008 thriller "Speed Racer."

In "Ninja Assassin," Rain plays an orphan adopted and trained into a deadly assassin by the secret society Ozunu Clan, only to turn against it when he finds out that the group's leader executed his friend.

"Speed Racer" posted mediocre box office numbers and all eyes are on whether Rain can carry "Ninja Assassin," which will hit theaters on Nov. 25.

The South Korean star said for now, he's just glad if he can pave the way for more Asian faces in Hollywood.

"I hope the movie reaches the No. 1 at the box office, but regardless of the numbers, it will open doors for more opportunities in Hollywood not only for myself but for other Asian actors," he said.

"Ninja Assassin" director James McTeigue said in a press statement the Wachowski Brothers, best known for "The Matrix" trilogy, eagerly recommended Rain to him.

"The day that Rain did his first scene in 'Speed Racer,' the Wachowski brothers called me and said, 'This guy is unbelievable.' And we began to plan 'Ninja Assassin' immediately," McTeigue said. The Wachowski brothers produced "Ninja Assassin."

Rain was equally grateful to the Wachowskis, saying Monday meeting them was "one of the life-changing experiences in my life."

Credit : rainalice/rainlegend

[deka_if]

hi willenette and all

kicia thanks for sharing those cute gifs ..

here's one more pic from yesterday event ..

Today's Photo: November 10, 2009

Nov. 10, 2009 08:54 KST

Singer and actor Rain poses during a press conference for his new Hollywood movie "Ninja Assassin" at a hotel in Seoul on Monday.

Source : englishnews@ chosun.com

[willenette]

Hi deka, thanks for posting the above photo............

*****************************************************

Source : allkpop

http://www.allkpop.com/index.php/full_stor...ess_conference/

Rain’s message before leaving Korea and Ninja Assassin press conference

Rain / Bi is scheduled to leave for America on November 11th to start his promotional tour for Ninja Assassin. The tour will stop by many cities throughout America and Canada, but before he leaves, he left a brief message for his fans (Clouds) back in Korea:

"Hi, everyone. This is Rain.

Finally, Ninja Assassin is coming out upcoming 25th. Hope you to love it a lot. I saw the buses wrapped with my appearance in the movie. My photos on the buses can be attributed to all of you. I was deeply moved by what it will be an opportunity to generate publicity for the movie,and thank you very much indeed and thank you for presenting me a T shirt with a hood.

Since it's getting colder and colder, please be careful with your health. I'll come back home after successfully finishing my overseas promotion and Asia Tour concert."

On November 8th, Rain also held a special screening and press conference for Ninja Assassin in Seoul. He talked about how hard he worked and trained for the movie and that they never filmed in front of a green / blue screen. Meaning that all the stunts were done manually without the aid of special effects. He also stated that he will do his best in promoting the movie in America and that there will be no time for rest as soon as his promotions are done he has to go to Hong Kong for his Asia Tour Concert.

Stars such as Lee Hyori, members of SNSD / Girls' Generation, Kim Sun Ah, Cha Tae-hyeon, and others attended the screening and enthusiastically clapped when the movie was over. Some of the reporters in attendance who got to see the special screening were impressed by Rain's emotional depth as an actor in the movie. As were some of our writers who were greeted with a special screening of Ninja Assassin last week in New York City. I haven't seen the movie myself but I can't wait to see it, I wish Rain great success.

[jinijung]

Ninja Assassin - TV Spot #5

From: MmmFilmClips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDMRJ9G4Z0c

[willenette]

Source : seoulbeats

http://seoulbeats.com/2009/11/rain-talks-ninja-assassin/

RAIN talks Ninja Assassin

In Seoul on November 9th, international superstar Rain, born Jeong Ji Hoon, held a press conference to promote his first leading role in a Hollywood film, Ninja Assassin. The film directed by James McTeigue known for directing V for Vendetta, is about an young orphan Raizo played by Rain, who is adopted and trained to be an elite assassin by a secret society, the Ozunu Clan. He turns against the clan when he finds out that they executed his best friend.

McTeigue has said that he picked Rain for the lead role based on the recommendation of the Wachowski Brothers who are best known for their Matrix trilogy. The Wachowskis worked with Rain in Speed Racer, which was his first role in a Hollywood movie. Rain has said that meeting the Wachowski Brothers was “one of the life-changing experiences in my life.”

To prepare himself for his role in the movie, Rain said “I watched a lot of action films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan to create a different, unique character in the movie.” He went on to say that “I hope the movie reaches the No. 1 at the box office, but regardless of the numbers, it will open doors for more opportunities in Hollywood not only for myself but for other Asian actors.” Rain started popping up on mainstream US radars when he was named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” in 2007 and the ensuing rivalry it created with TV host Stephen Colbert, who came in second to him. In 2007, he was also included in PEOPLE magazines “100 Most Beautiful List.’

For Ninja Assassin, Rain had to endure 2 months of intense physical training and a strict diet where he ate mostly salmon, chicken breast, and nuts. Rain has said the worst part was the diet, ”Whenever I think about that period of time, I feel really scared. I do not want to do this again -especially when food is sacred to me. It is too painful to have your diet limited and controlled.”

I had always thought that Rain was in pretty good shape, but DAMN! Ninja does a body good. Well, except for the starving, and strict dieting, and physical training, and the whole killing people thing. I hope that Ninja Assassin does well, critics so far have not been favorable in their reviews. Many have said that the storyline is lacking and the actions scenes while intense and impressive are overly gorey. Ummm, I think I might have to pass on Ninja Assassin. I’m not a big fan of gore, even if they do show tons of scenes of a shirtless Rain.

Best of luck to Rain and Ninja Assassin which will be released in theaters on November 25th.

cr: Associated Press, Daum

Ninja Assassin - TV Spot #5

From: MmmFilmClips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDMRJ9G4Z0c

Hi jini, thanks for sharing the version 5 of this trailer/teaser. All the spots that I've seen are so cool!

[anjjo]

11.06.09 Newsweek – Korea Takes Hollywood

11/09/2009

By Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop

Published Nov 6, 2009 / From the magazine issue dated Nov 16, 2009

In the late 1990s a Korean wave washed over Asia. From TV soap operas and movies to pop music, the region couldn’t get enough of Korean culture and its good-looking stars. But the wave never quite reached the American entertainment industry. At most, Hollywood embraced the remake of several Korean films—including The Lake Houseand, more recently, The Uninvited.

Lately, however, ethnic Korean actors have started to gain traction in American film and TV. Kim Yunjin and Daniel Dae Kim broke through when they were cast in Lost in 2004, followed by Sandra Oh in Grey’s Anatomy and James Kyson Lee in Heroes. This year Korean-American heartthrob Daniel Henney appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as the villainous Agent Zero, and now stars on the new CBS medical drama Three Rivers. Lee Byung-hun took on the role of Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. And John Cho, who played Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, is currently starring as an FBI agent in ABC’s drama FlashForward.

Next up: Jeong Ji Hoon, a.k.a. Rain, a pop superstar in much of Asia but still little-known on the global stage. On Nov. 25, Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers will release their latest big-budget martial-arts thriller, Ninja Assassin, starring Jeong as the title character, who seeks revenge on the secret society that raised and trained him and killed his best friend.

The casting of Korean stars in prominent Hollywood roles reflects the new business realities: Jeong and his peers have a huge following in Asia, one of the few regions where movie audiences are growing. Korea, in particular, has become a key foreign market for Hollywood films, in some cases surpassing the U.K. According to the Web site Box Office Mojo, G.I. Joe earned more this summer in Korea—$13.2 million—than anywhere else outside the U.S.

Hollywood producers are also courting Korean directors who have a proven track record delivering hits for Asian audiences. “Every studio executive here has seen Oldboy by Park Chan-wook, and you can’t say that about a lot of foreign movies,” says Korean-American film producer Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment. Though Korean directors may be in demand among Hollywood producers, they are reluctant to make the leap. “Top directors in Korea have the ability to make whatever films they want with total creative freedom,” says Lee. “With the [u.S.] studios they do not have that control.”

Korean actors face cultural challenges, too. For actors from Asia to make it big in Hollywood, they have to commit to mastering English and networking with executives. “In Asia, for the most part, there is no auditioning process,” says Grace Chen, the former managing director of William Morris Asia, now an independent consultant in Hong Kong. “So for big Asian stars to go to Hollywood and have to audition, it can be quite a foreign process.” Plus, she says, those playing the Hollywood game risks losing opportunities back home.

And Asian actors in the U.S. are still often typecast as martial-arts experts. “Stereotype does still exist when casting films,” says Rain. “Asians have our own broad and unique culture; it’s just that more people have been interested in the martial-arts side than others.”

But things are definitely changing. While it may be a while before Korean actors are cast as romantic leads in Hollywood, references to Korean culture are seeping into American films and TV. “In the past, you’d see a lot of Japanese references, Caucasian characters eating sushi or speaking a few Japanese words. But recently I noticed [they] are being replaced by Korean ones,” says Shinho Lee, a Korean scriptwriter who splits his time between Seoul and L.A. Vertigo’s Lee cites the rising prominence of Korean-Americans at all levels of the film-production chain: “There are more people of Korean descent working in Hollywood than of any other Asian ethnicity.” Especially in front of the camera.

Source: http://www.newsweek.com/id/221320

sixtofive1982

[jinijung]

IGN.com_ Ninja Assassin (2009) Exclusive Clip - Do you remember

Source: http://movies.ign.com

YT From: scorpiolabi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxX-MgywSes

091109 BDTV_ Ninja Assassin (2009) Exclusive Clip "Little Brother"

source http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18054

YT From: scorpiolabi / rainhk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqr2Ci4_umk