More G.I. Joe casting news has now been confirmed. Latino Review tells us that Gerald Okamura, best known for his appearance in the cult-classic BigTroubleInLittleChina, will be appearing in the film as Hard Master - the ninja mentor who trained both Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

In the G.I. Joe comics from Marvel Comics and Devil's Due, Hard Master was introduced as the leader of the Arashikage clan which both Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow hail from. The rivalry between the two remains cloaked in mystery, but Hard Master was somehow involved in the establishment of that rivalry.

G.I. Joe is currently filming and is scheduled for an August 7, 2009 release. The film stars Ray Parks, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Said Taghmaoui, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Marlon Wayans, Channing Tatum, Dennis Quiad, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arnold Vosloo, Karolina Isela Kurkov, Byung Hun Lee and Christopher Eccleston.