• CB: Right after the opening scene of the trailer, we see your character rescue Tommy, known as Storm Shadow. I’d like to hear from you, did this happen between the two of them at the beginning of the movie?

GG: Yes. The first meeting between Snake Eyes and Tommy took place. And there’s something going on between them, because it’s a subconscious connection that I think they both feel from the beginning. I can’t exactly describe the specific situation they find themselves in, but Snake does save his ass, and so they have quite a friendly relationship at first. And, of course, we all know that Tommy is from the Arashikage clan, and he gives Snake Eyes a chance to change lives. He was, after all, a man who was actually in the junkyard. We meet him as a humble street kid. He’s a man who sort of drags through life with very negative, let’s call it that, missions and very misguided goals. So change was extremely necessary for him.

• CB: It sounds like that change starts with three challenges. Can you talk about what those three challenges were like and what it was like to take them on?

GG: Are you trying to kill me! These are warrior trials, and they are designed to test resilience and not just mental, but also test heart, strength, and overall willingness to sacrifice. Of course I won’t tell you exactly what it is, but it’s pretty much what it looks like.

• CB: At the end of the trailer we see the hero in full costume. How easy it was to put it on! How practical was he?

GG: He’s completely practical. It’s a display of amazing artistry by the phenomenal costume makers, and it took them so long to put it together and so many tests to make sure it functioned exactly the way it should, especially as far as the helmet is concerned. I have a big head, so not too many people would be able to wear it. And it fits very snugly. Most helmets are quite voluminous, but we wanted to make sure this one had as slim a profile as possible and fit exactly my head. “Claustrophobia is definitely a condition I experienced, especially in the beginning when I put it on and couldn’t take it off in time. But it was really, really cool to walk around in it and look through its visor.

• CB: We also talked to actor Andrew Koji. He said that one of the hardest things he had to learn was swordfighting. I would love to hear from you about that training element. How much effort did you have to put in?

GG: Yes, we worked four hours a day with the stunt team, all preparing to be in the best possible shape on the set. Of course, everything changes when filming starts. The environment dictates how much we can do from what we’ve rehearsed in the studio, like when we’re on a car carrier platform or standing on the roof of a building in rainy weather. So you have to be able to adapt as quickly as possible and learn new choreography within five minutes. And fortunately, all those two months of prepping us for that stage.

• CB: You’re very familiar with this character and the G.I. Joe universe. Did you have any idea what you wanted to see or do with the characters if you were able to go beyond this project?

GG: After we finished the work, we realized that we were bored and wanted more. We want to see how this story develops. So all I can say for now is that I want to know this story all the way through, and I don’t think it will end at this point, because there’s so much more potential. So far, it’s such a macro view of the whole universe. It’s one possible backstory. There’s so much to tell, and this is one aspect of one small sector of space. So the possibilities are endless, but I can give you roughly a direction of development. We have ideas for at least three movies.

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