Henry Golding, star of the upcoming G.I. Joe Snake Eyes movie, discusses doing stunts and shares his on-set injuries. Snake Eyes is a spin-off of the G.I. Joe movies, the sci-fi action series based on Hasbro's popular toy and media franchise. The first movie in the main franchise, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, was released in 2009. It starred Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, and Sienna Miller. With its over-the-top action, star-studded cast, and visual effects, it performed well in the box office despite receiving low scores from critics.
The financial success spawned a hybrid reboot-sequel directed by Jon Chu, called G.I. Joe: Retaliation. It starred Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Retaliation was barely out in theaters for a week before it was revealed that Paramount was planning another sequel, this time focusing on The Baroness. While there were rumors in 2014 that Chu would return to direct the next sequel, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed that Paramount was in search of a new director and screenwriter for a 2016 release. The third movie was delayed due to scheduling issues with the actors. In 2018, a spin-off prequel movie was announced for fan-favorite character, Snake Eyes. In 2019, Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding was cast as the new Snake Eyes actor.
During an MTV News interview with Henry Golding, Golding is asked about his upcoming role. The interviewer, Josh Horowitz, asks how Golding would describe the action, which is a new aspect for Golding. Golding shares that the choreographer of Rurouni Kenshin, who has a stacked resume in the martial arts world, is the choreographer for Snake Eyes. As such, Golding affirms, "We have an authenticity to this. Which no one will have ever seen in a G.I. Joe franchise ever." Golding continues, "The amount of physical stunts that we do outweigh that of any of the CGI. Generally speaking, it's all physical stunts."
Golding goes on to share some of his on-set injuries that resulted from the action and stunt work. "I had a few injuries, I'm not gonna lie -- I blew out my hip, I tore my quad, my meniscus like tore." The actor justifies the injuries he's been through, and being "put through the wringer to bring a real tenacity to this character and do him justice." He ends the segment on G.I. Joe by emphasizing that Snake Eyes will be an origin story, and of a period of the character's life in which Snake Eyes is still learning and training. Golding describes Snakes Eyes as still being "susceptible" and "volatile."
Snake Eyes is sure to be an action-packed ride. The character is a deadly master of hand-to-hand combat, among a long list of other specialties that include espionage, ninjitsu, and even the mystical arts. In order to fully do the character justice, the movie really has to nail the action sequences. Snake Eyes was portrayed by actor-martial artist Ray Park in the first two movies, who does his own stunts. Golding has big shoes to fill, but from what details the actor has shared, it seems that he has stepped up. Golding expressed the importance paying homage to such an iconic character, and doing justice to old fans while being able to create a new following as well. To sum it all up in Golding's own words, "The action is insane." Snake Eyes hits theaters on October 23, 2020.
Source: MTV News