Ninja Assassin Throws Shurikens at Hong Kong on November 26

November 26, 2009

Rain helps bring back this sorely-missed genre of martial arts film.

Ninja Assassin slices its way to Hong Kong in November from Warner Bros Hong Kong and its produced by the The Wachowski Brothers of The Matrix (not Speed Racer) fame.

While Rain will be a big draw for many, many moviegoers – we are more excited that hopefully some of the kung fu movie tricks the Wachowski’s learned on The Matrix movies will be upgraded here with director James McTeigue who was not only the Assistant Director on The Matrix trilogy but made the cool comic book movie V for Vendetta.

So here we go with what we had originally guessed (and guessed wrong) as the film version of the anime Ninja Scroll (we admit it) a much needed return to the ninja action genre with the kind of generic title of Ninja Assassin but I’m sure you will agree from the trailer it is anything but:

You can see the alternative movie poster below that we actually like better but maybe Rain’s naked back will sell more tickets in Hong Kong. But you don’t have to worry about that because next week we’ll start our lucky draw for FREE tickets to the Hong Kong premiere! Because these are going to be hot tickets we will be giving them away to Neonpunch Hitlist members only – so sign-up now.

Raizo (Rain) is 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.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment, a Silver Pictures production, in association with Anarchos Productions, “Ninja Assassin.” The film is directed by James McTeigue (“V for Vendetta”) from a screenplay by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski, story by Matthew Sand. Joel Silver, Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski and Grant Hill are the producers, with Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Steve Richards serving as executive producers.

The film stars Korean pop star Rain (“Speed Racer”) as the central character, Raizo; Naomie Harris (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) as Europol researcher Mika Coretti; Ben Miles (“V for Vendetta”) as Europol Agent Ryan Maslow; legendary martial arts performer Sho Kosugi (“Revenge of the Ninja”) as the ruthless leader of the Ozunu Clan; and Rick Yune (“Die Another Day“) as Raizo’s rival, Takeshi.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub, production designer Graham “Grace” Walker, editor Gian Ganziano, editor Joseph Jett Sally, composer Ilan Eshkeri and costume designer Carlo Poggioli. The Wachowski brothers’ longtime stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and David Leitch are also on board as second unit co-directors.