Having wrapped up his fifth k-drama "My Lovable Girl," Rain will next head to China. The singer and actor will follow his performance as the drama's entertainment company CEO with another CEO role in the Chinese film "Diamond Lover."
Only this time he is the CEO of the world's best diamond company.
His new character is an aloof perfectionist. He is well mannered but keeps his distance from others, coldly calculating how much any emotional involvement will cost him. Falling in love will change everything for him. His diamond-in-the-rough character will be transformed from a lover of diamonds to a lover worth his weight in diamonds.
Chen Ming Zhang, who directed the original Taiwanese version of "Fated To Love You," will direct "Diamond Lover." That drama was very popular in China and earned high ratings. The recent k-drama remake of that Taiwanese hit starred Jang Hyuk and Jana Nara and earned double digits in the ratings.
Rain's salary in the film has attracted comment. It has been reported that he will receive $6 million for his role in "Diamond Lover." That's an impressive sum but not surprising considering how popular the actor and singer is in China. He appeared as a special guest on China's popular entertainment programs and recently graced the cover of China's Harper's Bazaar.
His co-star in the film is actress Tang Yan. She's the popular star of "Perfect Couple," "Chinese Paladin 3," and "My Daughter."
It won't be Rain's first Chinese film. His first Chinese production was the 2014 film "Love or Money," in which he played a poor artist. His co-star in that film was popular Chinese actress, Liu Yi Fei, also known as Crystal Liu. She played a girl from a down-on-their-luck aristocratic family. And the two fell in love. That film premieres in Korea on Nov. 14.
Rain has also acted in a few Hollywood films. Rain played in his first Hollywood film in 2008 when he appeared in "Speed Racer." Since then he has appeared in three more Hollywood productions, including "Ninja Assassin," "R2B: Return to Base," and "The Prince" with Bruce Willis. He is currently in talks with Hollywood producers about future projects.
Rain's growing body of work in other countries classifies him as a truly international star.
This year Rain also released a new album, "Rain Effect" with music videos for two of the tracks, "30 Sexy" and "La Song."
Rain begins work on "Diamond Lover" in December. The film will be shot in Belgium, Korea and China.
