G.I. Joe spinoff Snake Eyes begins filming in Japan

As a child of the 1980s G.I. Joe was everywhere. Whether it was toys, apparel, or the cartoon, it was hard to escape "the real American heroes." You could make the case that of all the G.I. Joe characters the best of the bunch was Snake Eyes. A founding member of G.I. Joe and the team's original commando, the character's history is unknown including his real name which remains "classified." Although the character has appeared in the previous G.I. Joe films THE RISE OF COBRA and RETALIATION, it was always in a larger context. However that's about to change as a spinoff, appropriately titled SNAKE EYES, hits theaters later this year.

Very early this morning Paramount Pictures dropped the news that production had officially kicked off in Tokyo, Japan. The news came courtesy of the film's official Twitter page which included this amazing photo of the entire cast receiving a traditional blessing at a Hie-Jinja shrine:

While Ray Park previously portrayed the armored, sword wielding, martial arts expert in the previous films, that will not be the case for SNAKE EYES. Instead the role will be portrayed by rising star Henry Golding (CRAZY RICH ASIANS). Virtually nothing is known about the film at this time other than that the movie will serve as an origin story for Snake Eyes. Considering his past is shrouded in mystery, this is virgin territory for the character. Hopefully screenwriter Evan Spiliotopoulos has crafted a unique and engaging story. Any chance he could actually be a Palpatine? I kid. I kid.

SNAKE EYES stars Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, Iko Uwais, Ursula Corbero, and Samara Weaving and is set to cut its way into theaters October 23, 2020. Considering the film debuts in just over nine months and filming has only now officially begun, I wouldn't be surprised if director Robert Schwentke's project gets pushed back. However, if they move with the precision and efficiency of the title character, perhaps they could make it.

So what say you guys? Are you excited for a SNAKE EYES film? Were you a fan of G.I. Joe as a kid? Sound off in the comments below!