Whenever I would see K-pop superstar/actor Rain in either Ninja Assassin or Speed Racer, I would have to restrain myself from yelling “Raiiiiiiiiiiiiin” at the top of my lungs.

Now Keanu Reeves is playing a guy named Rain, but not that guy. Holy crap – what if he played a globe-trotting K-pop star? Instead, The Matrix actor will be playing John Rain, a globe-trotting contract killer for Slingshot Global Media in the new television series Rain.

The character of John Rain is based on writer Barry Eisler’s series of novels, which see the half-Japanese, half-American assassin traveling the world and finding his marks – but never finding human connection. His whole schtick is making his target’s deaths look like natural causes, which should add an interesting puzzle element to the series if the “hits” are where the series’ focus lies.

The character appears in seven of Eisler’s novels, and is one of those killers with a code (no women or children, no backup, and never, ever fall in love). No word yet on if he knows kung fu.

Reeves would both star in and executive produce the series. I’m kind of hoping he adds directing to his list of chores; last year, Reeves released his directorial debut, the martial arts thriller Man of Tai Chi, and while the movie saw Reeves still finding his footing as a filmmaker (it didn’t help that his was getting his start with a cast for whom English was a second language), but he has an eye for kinetic, brutal action scenes and wasn’t afraid to swing for the fences in his own role as the nearly demonic fight promoter arranging underground brawls.

Are you ready to feel the Rain or will you be holding an umbrella over your DVR? Let us know in the comments below.

[HT: Badass Digest]