G.I. Joe 2's Asian Success Rests on Lee Byung Hun's Shoulders

“G.I. Joe 2” (“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”) will release in theaters worldwide on June 21, 2012. Currently, G.I. Joe 2 is having major promotion tours in South Korea and Japan that involves its cast Lee Byung Hun, Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, and Dwane Johnson (The Rock). The reason is that Lee Byung Hun’s ticket power in South Korea and Japan was shown through the previous film “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.”  

When “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” was released in 2009, South Korea and Japan were the two countries with the most revenue excluding the U.S. Paramount Pictures believe that the reason of the film’s popularity in these two countries is Lee Byung Hun.

Spoiler Alert of from “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”

In the first G.I. Joe film, Lee Byung Hun’s character Storm Shadow was portrayed as being dead. However, the character has been somewhat resurrected and Lee Byung Hun will also have increased screen time.

A film representative stated, “Paramount learned about the loyal fans of Hallyu. That is why they have increased the screen time of Lee Byung Hun in the sequel and anticipates its success in Asian markets.”