"Ninja Assassin" Starts Production in Berlin
May
29, 2008 7:49 PM EDT
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Filming
is underway on "Ninja Assassin," being directed by James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta") from a screenplay by
Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski. Joel Silver,
Grant Hill, Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski are producing, with Thomas Tull,
Jon Jashni and William Fay serving as executive
producers.
"Ninja
Assassin" 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.
Principal
photography is taking place at Babelsberg Studios and
on location in various parts of Berlin.
"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.
The
behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub, production designer Graham "Grace"
Walker, costume designer Carlo Poggioli and editor Giancarlo Ganziano. The Wachowski brothers' longtime stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and David Leitch are
also on board as second unit co-directors.
"Ninja
Assassin" is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation in association with
Legendary Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment.
Source:
Warner Bros. Pictures