While not due out in theaters until November 2012, some pictures have surfaced for the Universal Pictures film 47 Ronin, a $170 million big budget feature starring Keanu Reeves. The feature is being done first in Japanese and then they do it again in English for the dialogue is directed by Carl Erik Rinsch and the script is written by Chris Morgan (“Wanted”) and Hossein Amini (“Drive”). The story is one that dates back to the 18th century and has been adapted before, but not on this budget level.
Main cast:
- Keanu Reeves as Kai, an outcast who joins the group of samurai. Reeves’s character is half-Japanese and half-British; the character was created for the film.
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Oishi, leader of the samurai
- Kou Shibasaki as Mika, the slain master’s daughter and Kai’s love
- Tadanobu Asano as Lord Kira, who killed the samurais’ master
- Rinko Kikuchi as Mizuki, a lady who serves Lord Kira
- Jin Akanishi as Chikara Oishi, Oishi’s son
Plot concept: Kai (Reeves), an outcast who joins Oishi (Sanada), the leader of the 47 Ronin. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honor to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors.
