
Just as
Paramount breathed new life into the
Transformers franchise last summer, the studio is hoping to do the same to this sci-fi soldier series about a team of military experts battling the villainous Cobra organization.
With production now well under way on Paramount's live-action G.I. Joe feature film, director
Stephen Sommers took a moment out from shooting to talk about the big-screen version of the Hasbro toy, cartoon and comic book franchise.
Stephen Sommers, like any fan of the 1980s incarnation of
G.I. Joe, digs the black-clad, silent ninja Snake-Eyes, played in the film by Ray Park.
“He's the world's greatest ninja, but he's also next-generation. He's not afraid to use a sword one second, and a split-second later he's pulling out his Glock.”
Sommers added,
“His chief nemesis is arguably the world's other great ninja, Storm Shadow. The two grew up together, were blood brothers and now are mortal enemies.”
Storm Shadow is played by South Korean actor Byung-hun Lee. Lee completed his first day of principal photography March 13.
G.I. Joe's ensemble cast includes
Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sienna Miller, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui and
Dennis Quaid.