Korean stars take their shot at Hollywood

July 31, 2009 The Rise of Cobra, it wasn't Channing Tatum or Sienna Miller that caught the eyes of many Japanese fans who anxiously waited outside the hotel lobby to get a glimpse of their star. For Paramount Pictures, the film's distributor, this was a promising sign -- one that suggests the potential benefit of casting an Asian superstar to attract regional ticket buyers when marketing a quintessentially American film. After tasting bitterness with the boxoffice flop of his Hollywood debut "Speed Racer," Korean singer-actor Rain is aiming to revamp his reputation through "Ninja Assassin," another action flick produced by the Wachowski Brothers.

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