Category: Hollywood

The other day, Universal Pictures pushed back Carl Rinsch’s feature-length debut 47 Ronin from November 21, 2012 to February 8, 2013 to polish up special effects, but that didn’t stop the company from showing off a little bit of footage at CinemaCon 2012 in Las Vegas.

Edward Douglas of ComingSoon.net was in attendance and although he’s under a press embargo, he was able to give a brief overview of what was shown.

Apparently the film will feature a heavier dose of fantasy elements than previously expected. In the reel shown, Keanu Reeves’s character Kai was shown fighting in a ring on a ship. Afterward, co-star Hiroyuki Sanada is shown asking him how he learned to fight like that. “By fighting demons”, he responds—followed by a montage of various creatures and fights. Some of the creatures included Oni (ogres) and lightning-fast monks referred to as the Kangu Warlords.

That’s about it. Unfortunately, it will probably be a while before any footage is officially released to the public. According to Eric Eisenberg of Cinema Blend, the need for more special effects work was evident.

Deadline is reporting that New York-based Kamala Films has acquired the movie rights to Lone Wolf and Cub, with the previously-announced director Justin Lin (Fast Five) still attached to the project. David and Janet Peoples will handle the script.

Director Darren Aronofsky has been attached to several past plans to make a Lone Wolf and Cub movie over the years, but he could never secure the rights from Japan.

The original manga was created by Kazuo Koike and serialized from 1970-1976. The story features a skilled samurai named Ogami Itto who serves as the Shogun’s executioner until the Yagyu clan frame him for treason and murder everyone in his family except for his newborn son, Daigoro. When Daigoro is old enough to crawl, Ogami gives him the choice of a sword or a ball to decide his own fate: life with his father or death with his mother. Daigoro chooses the sword, essentially committing himself to the life of a wandering ronin with his father. Ogami travels the land while pushing Daigoro along in a baby cart, determined to get vengeance against anyone and everyone from the Yagyu clan.

The story was later adapted to six movies starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, but most in the west are probably more familiar with the 1980 dubbed and re-edited version, Shogun Assassin, by Robert Houston and David Weisman. It featured a vastly simplified mash-up of the first two movies and became popular in grindhouse theaters.

Kamala Films will be collaborating with 1212 Entertainment on the new film. No word yet on casting decisions, production schedules, or release windows.

via ANN

On Thursday, the official website for Carl Erik Rinsch’s upcoming big-budget Hollywood adaptation of 47 Ronin was updated with the announcement that actor and former KAT-TUN vocalist Jin Akanishi has been cast in the movie.

The announcement goes on to say that this will mark Akanishi’s Hollywood debut and touts his huge popularity with Japanese youth.

Akanishi will play Chikara Oishi, son Hiroyuki Sanada’s character Oishi and a sworn friend of Keanu Reeves’s character Kai.

He participated in an audition in Hollywood, where he showed extraordinary passion for the role through his sword fighting and horse riding training. Rinch heaped on the praise, stating that Akanishi is the only one who could play Chikara.

“47 Ronin” will be released in November 2012.

via Cinema Today

On Tuesday, Universal Pictures announced that principal photography of Carl Erik Rinsch’s 47 Ronin adaptation will begin on March 14; and with that announcement came word that Japanese stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano, and Rinko Kikuchi will appear alongside Keanu Reeves in the film.

Reeves will star as an outcast named Kai who joins the 47 Ronin, which are led by a man named Oishi (Sanada). Together they set out to avenge their murdered master, Asano, and restore honor to their homeland by killing a treacherous overlord. Along the way, they face various trials that would destroy lesser warriors.

Shibasaki will play Mika, Asano’s daughter and Kai’s lover; Asano will play the villain, Lord Kira; and Kikuchi will play Kira’s top aide, the mysterious Lady Mizuki.

Although Sanada, Kikuchi, and Asano have appeared in several Hollywood and international productions, this will be a new experience for Shibasaki. While in London for the announcement, she proclaimed in English that she’s “so excited!”

“47 Ronin” is slated for release on November 11, 2012 and the film’s budget is rumored to be around $200 million.

Sources: Collider, Tokyograph

Update (3/2): A website popped up for the film. You can watch the press conference with 2-way subtitles here. Also fixed the bit about Shibasaki’s role. She plays the daughter of Asano (the character, not the actor).