47 Ronin

[enoajnin]

I think I'm scared. I just saw a production listing for 47 Ronin. I was very excited about a remake because this was one of my first introductions to japanese culture. This excitement turned to dismay when I saw that Keanu Reeves has been attached to star in this picture. I guess I'm in the wait and see mode. Why do they keep giving him movie roles?

[GeneChing]

The Day the Media Forum Stood Still....:eek:

Keanu Reeves to lead '47 Ronin' (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997052.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1)
Chris Morgan to write Universal feature
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Keanu Reeves will star in "47 Ronin," an epic period film for Universal Pictures based on the true tale of a band of samurai swordsmen who avenged the death of their master in 18th century Japan.

Chris Morgan, who co-wrote "Wanted" and penned the upcoming "Fast and Furious" for Universal, is writing the script. Scott Stuber will produce through his Stuber Prods. banner.

Reeves stars in sci-fi remake "The Day the Earth Stood Still," which Fox bows Friday.

In "47 Ronin," he will play one of the swordsmen; the group and their master are revered in Japan for their revenge attack on Dec. 14, 1702.

The film will tell a stylized version of the story, mixing fantasy elements of the sort seen in "The Lord of the Rings" pics, with gritty battle scenes akin to those in films such as "Gladiator."

Morgan is writing the script and tailoring it so that Reeves -- who's half-Asian -- can fit the role as one of the swordsmen. The intention is to begin shooting next year after a director is hired.

Walter Hamada and Chris Fenton will be exec producers.

Under his U-based shingle, Stuber is shooting the Vince Vaughn starrer "Couples Retreat" and is preparing for the release of the Joe Johnston-directed "The Wolfman," the Jennifer Aniston starrer "Traveling" and "Repossession Mambo." Stuber is prepping "Your Highness," with David Gordon Green to direct and Danny McBride to star.

[Kansuke]

What a mess that is gonna be.

[Lucas]

hmmm...

not too sure about keanu....the upside, his roll may not involve too much speaking.

wait, is he going to be speaking japanese then?

or will this be one of those things where all the feudal japanese for some reason speak american english....:rolleyes:

[doug maverick]

so bad, it'll probably be in english which doesnt bother me at all. what should bother people is bad screen writer+horrible actor will probably equal blockbuster. i dont get what people see in reeves, noy one bit. and yea he's half asian but looks as much asian as i do. holywood must loves ****ing off the japs, i mean last samurai memoirs of a geisha and now this.

[Lucas]

so bad, it'll probably be in english which doesnt bother me at all. what should bother people is bad screen writer+horrible actor will probably equal blockbuster. i dont get what people see in reeves, noy one bit. and yea he's half asian but looks as much asian as i do. holywood must loves ****ing off the japs, i mean last samurai memoirs of a geisha and now this.

agree completely. actually i didnt know he was half asian till this release. thats how asian he looks.

they may as well just cast cruise again :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

...who here has seen Inagaki's Chusingura? It's a brilliant chanbara flick - a true classic - and one of my favs.

[Lucas]

a friend had me watch that years ago. i dont really remember much but he was a huge toshiro mifune fan and had everything he was ever in.

i dont think mifune had a major roll but i cant really remember.

except my buddy told me it was a true story, and that its a pretty big historical event in japan.

now ill need to netflix it in light of this new film.

[GeneChing]

Chusingura is based on a historic event. My kendo group made a pilgrimage to the shrine that honors the 47 Ronin in Japan.

Inagaki's Chusingura is epic and stars many of the leading chanbara actors of the period including Takashi Shimura and Mifune. Mifune's role is pivotal, but small. He's not one of the 47. Quite the opposite. It's a long film and convoluted, so it's hard to keep track of the characters, especially when several of them look similar. There are two love subplots and I had to see it a second time to get that straightened out. Now I don't know how many times I've seen it. It's mythic drama, and the action choreography is magnificent but you have to wait for it. The final siege is glorious.

There's an older B&W version of Chusingura that's awful. All the action is off screen, except one scene where this dog walks into shot for no apparent reason and the ronin kicks him out of shot. It's a shocking scene because the dog is tiny and kicked for real. It goes flying. It's even more shocking because the rest of the film is people talking at each other in long, almost Kubrick-like still portrait shots. It's painfully boring, especially if you're wanting to see some swordplay, since it never happens.

[enoajnin]

I wonder who took me . .. .

I enjoyed it and I am dismayed at the whole Reeves thing. But if you haven't seen it, maybe you won't care. I'm Keanu Hater, I know it.

[Kansuke]

holywood must loves ****ing off the japs.



FYI, that term is not cool.

[doug maverick]

not there to offend my japanese friends(to which their are several) dont have a problem with it and i wasnt aware that it was an offensive word. considering its just short for japanese, its not like i said some crazy racial epiteth. but thats not what this thread is about and lets not go there.

[Jimbo]

Just so you know... calling Japanese 'Japs' is equivalent to calling Chinese '*****s' or Koreans and Vietnamese 'gooks'. Growing up in the '60s and '70s, Japanese-Americans were called 'Japs' as a slur meant as an insult, at least me, my brother, cousins, and many friends I knew feel that way. Younger Japanese or many from Japan now may not have the same concept.
Okay, back to keanu...
Once in some magazine (I think it was Time Magazine) they showed a photo of Keanu's father, who it said was Hawaiian/Chinese. I think he was in prison. He did not look like Keanu at all, and up 'til now, Keanu and/or Hollywood has done everything possible to hide or de-emphasize his 'Asian-ness'. Now all of a sudden he's Asian enough to play a Japanese samurai in a historical account. But this always happens when Hollywood 'attempts' to make movies about Asians. I won't be surprised if they say the guy Keanu plays is the half-Japanese son of a Portuguese missionary or English sea captain or whatever.

[doug maverick]

dude you know that exactly what they're going to do. and again i was not aware of the japanese comment.

[Kansuke]

not there to offend my japanese friends(to which their are several) dont have a problem with it and i wasnt aware that it was an offensive word. considering its just short for japanese, its not like i said some crazy racial epiteth. but thats not what this thread is about and lets not go there.





Don't use the term again and there will be no place to 'go.'

[doug maverick]

Don't use the term again and there will be no place to 'go.'

yeah what ever just stay on topic.

[Kansuke]

NO, not "whatever," don't do it and there will be no need to discuss it.

[GeneChing]

I've always known Keanu was hapa. It's pretty obvious, just like Kristen (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50437) Kreuk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52654) and the Tilly sisters. My kid is hapa. Technically speaking, so am I. I'm hapanese pake. Hapa nation rising.

[SimonM]

Best way to end racism is to get rid of races. Gene pools like mixing. ;)

And, yeah, Keanu is pretty clearly half-asian. I've known that since... what... Johnny Pnemonic. :p

[sanjuro_ronin]

I've always known Keanu was hapa. It's pretty obvious, just like Kristen (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50437) Kreuk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52654) and the Tilly sisters. My kid is hapa. Technically speaking, so am I. I'm hapanese pake. Hapa nation rising.

What is "hapa" ?

[Jimbo]

Hapa means of mixed race.

I've liked Keanu in a couple of films, like The Matrix (only the first installment), and The Little Buddha, the only time I know of that he ever portrayed an Asian, Siddartha(sp?), the Buddha.

Yesterday I saw The Day the Earth Stood Still. Not great, but IMO the role fits Keanu perfectly. Alien being with mechanical personality who speaks in monotone.

Gene:
+ 1 on Meg and Jennifer Tilly. It seemed almost nobody was aware of that, although it's quite obvious.

[GeneChing]

Is that a pun, SimonM?

I've always thought the Tilly sisters are pretty obvious, so I'm always surprised when people don't realize that. Meg (http://data-allocine.blogomaniac.fr/mdata/4/7/9/Z20041121181815000428974/img/1189077764_10045391.jpg) & Jennifer (http://highstakesnews.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/jennifer_tilly.jpg). Then again, I always thought Keanu was obvious too.

[SimonM]

LOL Would I resort to punning?

Well... yes, yes I would.

And I wasn't aware that the Tilley sisters were of mxed ancestry but having been told that I can sort of see it... :p

[doug maverick]

NO, not "whatever," don't do it and there will be no need to discuss it.

dude i stated that i wasnt aware of it, i apologized and i moved on stop trying to stat a fire where there's no need to start a fire.just keep it moving.

as for the tilly sisters i have no freaking idea who the hell the tilly sisters are. not one **** clue. kristen kruek is obviously mixed its noticeable, keanu reeves on the other hand, not so much. i wonder if they are gonna put him in yellow face, which would be ****ed up.long live Pinocchio aka keanu reeves

[doug maverick]

ok i just remembered who jennifer tilley was. duh

[Jimbo]

I always could tell about the Tilly sisters, esp. since Meg bears a huge resemblance to a cousin of mine (not a hapa, though).

I don't know if they'd yellow-face Keanu, but I could see them using eye makeup to 'slant' his eyes up, even though (1), Keanu's eyes are such he doesn't need that; (2), lots of Japanese, myself included, are as round-eyed as most non-Asians.

I'm more converned how he'd fit into the acting and storyline. If he speaks, do they dub his voice over?

IMO The Last Samurai would have been a great movie if it had been without Tom Cruise, but of course, unfortunately he's the reason it was as successful in the U.S. and internationally as it was. And people get the impression that his character WAS the 'last samurai', which he was not.

[SimonM]

Jimbo you will get no arguments from me about the Last Samurai.

Tom Cruise's role in the story can basically be reduced to "hey, look, a white protagonist".

Then again Tom Cruise is like the anti-Depp... in that he takes otherwise interesting movies and makes them awful... as opposed to Depp who has frequently taken otherwise awful movies and made them work.

Just saw Sweeny Todd the day before yesterday. Best...
Musical...
Ever...

But it really was carried by Depp and Bonham Carter.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I always could tell about the Tilly sisters, esp. since Meg bears a huge resemblance to a cousin of mine (not a hapa, though).

I don't know if they'd yellow-face Keanu, but I could see them using eye makeup to 'slant' his eyes up, even though (1), Keanu's eyes are such he doesn't need that; (2), lots of Japanese, myself included, are as round-eyed as most non-Asians.

I'm more converned how he'd fit into the acting and storyline. If he speaks, do they dub his voice over?

IMO The Last Samurai would have been a great movie if it had been without Tom Cruise, but of course, unfortunately he's the reason it was as successful in the U.S. and internationally as it was. And people get the impression that his character WAS the 'last samurai', which he was not.

I liked the Last Samurai, in spite of Tom and I don't know anyone who thought that HE was the last samurai.
His swinging the bokuto and katana like a baseball bat was priceless, LOL !

A pretty good one that is not very well know is "The last Warrior" with Cary Tagawa and Gary Graham ( of the Alien Nation TV series).

[doug maverick]

i liked last samurai as well. and yeah everyone knows tom wasnt the last samurai. but when the posters were released in japan with tom on the one-sheet, it made it seem like he was the last samurai which i remember there was this big uproar causing the studio to change them.

[Lucas]

i think the last samurai was a really good film over all.

part of what I liked the most was the costumes, and the bokken scenes.

[GeneChing]

...and I notice there's no thread on that here, or I'd redirect y'all. I've seen way too many chanbara flicks for the Last Samurai to work for me. And I'm not a Cruise hater. I've always had a fond spot for Risky Business. But back OT, I can see Keanu as one of the 47. A lot depends on who the other 46 are...

[doug maverick]

keanu will be his wooden self as always, but im sure he'll do a good job in the action department, he hasnt stopped his training since the matrix and he was pretty good in those films. my concern is the screen writer chris morgan. he writes alot of trash. i mean cellular, wanted fast and furious god. 47 ronin is a steve zaillian or david mamet job, leave it to universal to take something that could be epic and turn it into action trash. this is the studio that only does franchises mind you all, so somehow thy are going to work out a 47 ronin's two. this is a movie where all the hero's are suppose to die. doubtfull thou.

[golgo]

i think the last samurai was a really good film over all.

part of what I liked the most was the costumes, and the bokken scenes.

I agree. I liked the movie as well. I dont remember a ton from it, but I do remember coming away thinking that the clothes they wore looked extremely comfortable. I wanted to buy a kimono to wear around the house.

And about the language thing... why would a movie being made in the US for a US audience (primarily) staring US actors, where everyone is speaking the same language speak in any language other than English? Schindler's list wasn't filmed in German and dubbed over in English. The Hunt for Red October wasn't filmed in Russian (except the first few minutes).

Call me crazy, but I dont want to have my movies subtitled if it isn't necessary (and I don't mean dubbed either - would rather have subtitles).

[golgo]

up 'til now, Keanu and/or Hollywood has done everything possible to hide or de-emphasize his 'Asian-ness'. Now all of a sudden he's Asian enough to play a Japanese samurai in a historical account. But this always happens when Hollywood 'attempts' to make movies about Asians.

Exactly how does one de-emphisize one's asian-ness? Please enlighten me as to what it means to be asian.

With a name like Keanu, he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding his "pacific-islander-ness."

[SimonM]

I like subtitles...

I especially like BAD CHINGLISH subtitles.

[Jimbo]

Exactly how does one de-emphisize one's asian-ness? Please enlighten me as to what it means to be asian.

With a name like Keanu, he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding his "pacific-islander-ness."

When, besides in The Little Buddha, has Keanu ever played anything other than a white guy? If you can inform me of any, please do so. Obviously, being "Asian" does not mean having to play in Asian-themed films, or the stereotypical bowing and scraping and speaking in broken English. But other than the above film, everything I've seen him in he's played white characters with European surnames.

[Jimbo]

keanu will be his wooden self as always, but im sure he'll do a good job in the action department, he hasnt stopped his training since the matrix and he was pretty good in those films. my concern is the screen writer chris morgan. he writes alot of trash. i mean cellular, wanted fast and furious god. 47 ronin is a steve zaillian or david mamet job, leave it to universal to take something that could be epic and turn it into action trash. this is the studio that only does franchises mind you all, so somehow thy are going to work out a 47 ronin's two. this is a movie where all the hero's are suppose to die. doubtfull thou.

Is Chris Morgan the guy who co-wrote the early X-Files episodes?

Maybe if Universal plans a franchise, they will have all 47 ronin riding off into the sunset at the end? Maybe they'll draw the story out into 2 or 3 films, the last installment having the final revenge and suicide scenes.

[golgo]

When, besides in The Little Buddha, has Keanu ever played anything other than a white guy? If you can inform me of any, please do so. Obviously, being "Asian" does not mean having to play in Asian-themed films, or the stereotypical bowing and scraping and speaking in broken English. But other than the above film, everything I've seen him in he's played white characters with European surnames.

Well, given the fact that Keanu chooses the roles he portrays, I would have to chalk that up to personal choice and not a vast Hollywood conspiracy to suppress his Asian-ness.

Not to mention he didn't even grow up with his father (who was Portugese, Chinese, Hawaiian and English).

[doug maverick]

Is Chris Morgan the guy who co-wrote the early X-Files episodes?

Maybe if Universal plans a franchise, they will have all 47 ronin riding off into the sunset at the end? Maybe they'll draw the story out into 2 or 3 films, the last installment having the final revenge and suicide scenes.

no, he's the guy who wrote cellular.

[Kansuke]

i think the last samurai was a really good film over all.

part of what I liked the most was the costumes, and the bokken scenes.


.................................................. ..unbelievable

[doug maverick]

.................................................. ..unbelievable

well its a movie not a documentary, its not suppose to be believable. but still the whole charging in to gun fire thing with tom in the front and not one ****ing bullet hitting him, was a def NUKE THE FRIDGE. moment, while i liked this film, there was soemthing about it that didnt sit quite right with me. maybe cause i thought tom should have died on the feild like the rest of the samurai's. it was like this ep of boondocks titled "nigga moment" in the beginning these two black guys are arguing and then shooting each other up, and then a black runs into a white guy and they are about to argue when the white guy say: "wait a minute im white." i feel like that what happen to toms character he went native so to speak, and then when it came to the crunch he remember:" oh thats right im white" an d lived.

[SimonM]

When, besides in The Little Buddha, has Keanu ever played anything other than a white guy?

Bill S Preston - white guy name.
Johnny Pnemonic - Ethnicity unclear.
Neo / Thomas Anderson - white guy name.

I'm drawing a blank about his other movies...

[sanjuro_ronin]

well its a movie not a documentary, its not suppose to be believable. but still the whole charging in to gun fire thing with tom in the front and not one ****ing bullet hitting him, was a def NUKE THE FRIDGE. moment, while i liked this film, there was soemthing about it that didnt sit quite right with me. maybe cause i thought tom should have died on the feild like the rest of the samurai's. it was like this ep of boondocks titled "nigga moment" in the beginning these two black guys are arguing and then shooting each other up, and then a black runs into a white guy and they are about to argue when the white guy say: "wait a minute im white." i feel like that what happen to toms character he went native so to speak, and then when it came to the crunch he remember:" oh thats right im white" an d lived.

I thought he did get shot, leg or hip or some crap like that....

[doug maverick]

yeah but other guys were getting shot up and this is a ****ing gat, not rifles or pistols but ****ing gats.

[sanjuro_ronin]

yeah but other guys were getting shot up and this is a ****ing gat, not rifles or pistols but ****ing gats.

Obviously, Tom has the REAL Qigong.

[doug maverick]

lol. well considering that bullets represent fire and iron chi gung is metal, and fire melts metal i still dont see that happening.

[SimonM]

Ok, so it is agreed. Tom Cruise sucks big hairy bag.

[GeneChing]

Now it's not just about Keanu anymore.

Four Japanese actors join '47 Ronin' (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118033107?haasFormId=98003e0c-be4d-4ba0-886d-07c949a13db8&haasPage=0)
Universal actioner, based on Japanese legend, stars Keanu Reeves
By Justin Kroll

Rinko Kikuchi, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, Keanu Reeves, Kou Shibasaki, Carl Rinsch
Four Japanese actors have joined Universal's Keanu Reeves actioner "47 Ronin," about a group of warriors on a vengeance quest.

Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano and Rinko Kikuchi join the cast for the pic directed by Carl Rinsch. Story is inspired by the Japanese legend of the 47 Ronin, who seek vengeance against an overlord who banished them.

Pic's set to be released in 3D on Nov. 11, 2012.

Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini penned the script with Scott Stuber, Pamela Abdy and Eric McLeod producing through Stuber Prods.

U sees "47 Ronin" as one of its big 2012 tentpoles and was particular about its cast. Sources tell Variety that Universal sought actors of Japanese descent to be true to the story even if they weren't as recognizable to domestic auds.

Some of the project's new faces should look familiar. Sanada was seen in "The Last Samurai" and "Sunshine" and most recently played Dogen in the final season of "Lost." Kikuchi is best known for her Oscar-nominated role in "Babel," and Asano has Paramount's "Thor" and U's "Battleship" coming up. Shibasaki has appeared in some of Japan's biggest B.O. hits, including "Battle Royale" and "Go."

Asano and Kikuchi are repped by CAA and Anore, Sanada by the Libra Intl.

[GeneChing]

This is an indie that Keanu just put out. In an interview on it, they discussed 47 Ronin at the end.


'Henry's Crime' is Keanu Reeves' labor of love (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/10/PK711IQGPB.DTL)
Walter Addiego, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle April 8, 2011 04:00 AM
Sunday, April 10, 2011

...

Q: You've just filmed "47 Ronin" in Budapest. It's a major undertaking, right?

A: It's a famous story from Japan, based on something that happened in 1703. We're doing a reinterpretation or reinvention of the story. It's a fantastical, real (pause) Western, in a way. These samurai who become ronin (samurai without masters) seek to get revenge for their fallen lord. There are some celebrated versions of it, (particularly) "Chushingura" (the 1962 movie by Hiroshi Inagaki).

Q: A story in Variety said it's going to have "Lord of the Rings"-style fantasy elements. Is that right?

A: No, it's creating a world, but not as "Dungeons and Dragons" as that. And I don't mean that in a pejorative sense. "47 Ronin" is fantastical - we have a witch, we have giants, mythical creatures. But the emotion and the drama are not fantastical.

Q: It's a pretty heavy story.

A: Yeah, I mean, we all commit suicide in the end.

[Lucas]

omg he just gave the end away

[GeneChing]

There are two more pix if you follow the link.

First Look: Keanu Reeves on the Set of ’47 Ronin’ (http://www.slashfilm.com/keanu-reeves-47-ronin/keanu-ronin/)
Posted on Friday, November 25th, 2011 by Russ Fischer
http://bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/RONIN-GROUP-550x365.jpg
Pretty minor stuff here, but here’s the first look at Keanu Reeves in costume for the Carl Erik Rinsch film 47 Ronin. The movie is a remake, in name at least, of a Japanese film from 1947, but what we’ve heard about the film so far suggests that Rinch is going for something a bit more his own than just a straight remake. The story has been around far longer than sixty-some years, so Rinsch has many previous versions to draw on, but also the leeway to give his own spin on the tale. (Which includes shooting this version in 3D.)

Rinsch is noted for being a Ridley Scott protege, and he was once attached to direct a film related to Alien way before that movie evolved into Prometheus, with Scott taking directorial duties. Rinsch was also set to direct Logan’s Run before dropping off that project (making room for Nicolas Winding Refn) and to make 47 Ronin.

We don’t have actual stills from the film yet, but after the break you’ll find a shot of Reeves in character, and images of a couple other players in their film garb.

http://bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/keanu-ronin.jpg

Earlier this year Reeves explained his vision of the film,

It’s in 3D. It’s kind of a western. I call it a story of revenge and impossible love. The samurai become ronin, outcast, and decide to enact revenge on the person who is responsible for the death of their lord. And I play an outsider, a kind of half-breed with a mysterious past named Kai, who’s in love with the princess and she’s in love with me, but we can’t be together. But during this journey and revenge, things change.

Chris Morgan (Wanted) scripted, and this is how he described the script when Rinsch was set to direct:

It’s a time in Japanese culture when it was all about [the] bushido [code] and honor, and putting internal things over external things -- swords that were made to be functional instead of ornamental, that kind of stuff," Morgan previously told MTV. "this turning point in the culture when that started to shift. Society started to be more about external kind of things. The story is about these samurai whose lord is killed in an unfair way.

And we've got this from an official press release about the movie.

Inspired by styles as diverse as Miyazaki and Hokusai, Rinsch will bring to life the stunning landscapes and enormous battles that will display the timeless Ronin story to global audiences in a way that’s never been seen before.

47 Ronin also features Hiroyuki Sanada, Kô Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, and Jin Akanishi. It is set for release on November 21, 2012.

[GeneChing]

Atticus Ross to Score ’47 Ronin’ (http://filmmusicreporter.com/2012/04/06/atticus-ross-to-score-47-ronin/)
Posted: April 6, 2012 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring Assignments

Atticus Ross has been hired to score Universal’s upcoming epic 3D martial arts fantasy adventure 47 Ronin. The film marks the feature directorial debut of commercial/music video director Carl Erik Rinsch and stars Keanu Reeves, as well as Japanese actors Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, and Kou Shibasaki. The movie tells the fact-based story of the 47 Ronin, a band of samurai swordsmen who avenge the death of their master in 18th century Japan. Chris Morgan (Wanted, Fast Five) and Hossein Amini (Drive) have written the screenplay and Scott Stuber (Battleship, Role Models), Eric McLeod (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Tropic Thunder) and Pamela Abdy (Garden State) are producing the film. The tentpole production marks Ross’ highest profile scoring assignment to date as a solo composer. He is best known for his collaborations with Trent Reznor on David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Social Network (for which he won an Academy Award), as well as his music for the Hughes Brother’s The Book of Eli, on which he shared credit with Leopold Ross and Claudia Sarne. Ross has previously worked with Rinsch on the Mercedes-Benz interactive short film Escape the Map. 47 Ronin has been scheduled for a release on November 21, 2012 by Universal Pictures.
Anyone else catch Hiroyuki Sanada in Revenge? He's the heroine's ninja master. Seriously.

[enoajnin]

It looks like they are pushing the release date for 47 Ronin.




Originally scheduled to come out Nov. 21, "47 Ronin," which stars Keanu Reeves, will instead come out Feb. 8, 2013, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak about it publicly.

Universal executives were concerned they would not have a trailer ready to show this summer, when theaters are packed with audiences watching similar event movies.

Originally budgeted at about $175 million, the cost of "47 Ronin" may rise as additional footage is shot and other changes are made, according to a person close to the production who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. While rumors are swirling in Hollywood that the movie's budget has risen to more than $200 million, the person close to the production denied that.

In a year full of enormous risks for Universal including "Battleship" and "Snow White and the Huntsman," "47 Ronin" has stood out as one of the biggest gambles. Shot in 3-D by Carl Rinsch, an accomplished music video and commercial director who had never made a studio feature film, it features an entirely Japanese cast surrounding Reeves, who has not starred in a blockbuster hit since the "Matrix" trilogy nearly a decade ago.

"47 Ronin" is a new version of a Japanese legend about a group of samurai who avenge the death of their master and then commit ritual suicide.

It was to be Universal's biggest release of the holiday season. Instead, the studio now will have no movies opening in theaters between "The Bourne Legacy" on Aug. 3 and "Les Miserables" on Dec. 14.

The only other picture scheduled to debut against "Ronin" next February is Relativity Media's "Safe Haven," an adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel. The second weekend of February was a huge one for Hollywood this year, with "The Vow," "Safe House," "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" and the 3-D version of "Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace" all opening successfully.

[GeneChing]

Almost posted this on the MoTC thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60170) but figured this needed more of a ttt

We're Artists: Keanu Reeves on Side By Side and Man of Tai Chi (http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/194427-were-artists-keanu-reeves-on-side-by-side-and-man-of-tai-chi)

The debate between celluloid vs. digital filmmaking, why Bill and Ted wouldn't like Dogstar and how he shot his kung fu directorial debut.
By Fred Topel
August 21, 2012

So we got our own private interview (get it?) with Keanu Reeves, one of the biggest stars in the world. Normally his exclusive time is reserved for the Lenos and Lettermans of the world, but this time he had a subject that was better suited to the hardcore movie geeks, if you will. Reeves produced the documentary Side by Side, narrates it and conducts interviews with filmmakers discussing film versus digital production. It premieres on VOD August 22 where anyone can see why Steven Soderbergh, Christopher Nolan and others stand by their formats of choice, and novices can learn what the difference is in the first place. Christopher Kenneally wrote and directed.

CraveOnline: Why is there a debate about film vs digital? Why can’t a director just use whatever format he wants?

Keanu Reeves: He can, or she can, but it’s going to become more and more difficult because of I think financial pressures. I think from the financing/producing side, you’ll have pressures to shoot digitally as opposed to photochemically simply because of the cost. Then I think in the short term, right now there’s becoming less and less of a need for a film print. Digital projection, DCP has become the industry standard in America so you’ll need less and less prints. Film will become just a capture medium and I think you’ll run against the financier saying, “Well, we can’t afford it.” That’s not to say that it won’t be an option though. Wes Anderson just did Super 16 film. I did a Super 16. Hunger Games was shot on film, Batman was shot on film. So you’re seeing independent films and mainstream films still being shot on film.

But some of those are directors fighting to get to use film.

Yeah, you’ve still got to fight.

Could it be dangerous for a new generation of filmmakers to lose the foundation of celluloid and how images were originally made?

I don't know if it’s dangerous. I don't know who it’ll hurt, but I think certainly it’s something to be considered in the sense of what have we lost? Martin Scorsese speaks a little bit about that in the documentary and the beauty of that image, the discipline of what it takes to work with it, to work with film, to light it, to develop it, to color it. Not so much to cut it anymore, but the disciplines of working with that would be a lost art or a lost craft, but a new one is here to take its place. Christopher Nolan in the time when we were interviewing him spoke about that filmmakers of his level were even being asked to shoot digitally, but why are we being forced with something that’s technologically not at the standard of photochemical film. That definitely was true back then. It’s becoming less and less true. It’s not the same. It’s different.

If an artist loves the craft of film, would it be vital to understand how it originated, not just how we do it now?

Well, if you’re going to work with film, you’d have to. You’d be entering that dark room, wouldn’t you? This is how you light it. Depending on the speed of your film stock and the conditions and the environment that you’re lighting in, if you’re shooting with a camera, well this is how you turn it on. These are the lenses. So you would be entering into the past. If you want to go into film history or start watching movies, I don't know if you have to go to school for that, but there’s the cinema language. But photochemically, there are differences than shooting digitally definitely.

Did you ever explore how digital and film are transferred onto Blu-ray? Would you have liked to include that component of the discussion?

We didn’t go specifically into Blu-ray. In the documentary, we didn’t go into videotape or DVD or the end of DVD, going into streaming. Blu-ray is a form of DVD. It’s also not the best way, right? The limitations of the blue ray is actually not the best image you can have actually, but that became the industry standard. That’s a whole other conversation. It’s funny when you get into 24 frames per second photochemically was basically the bottom line. That’s how you could use the least amount of film and not have image flicker. If you filmed at 22, if you were filming a light bulb, you would see a pulse of light. So 24 was picked because for monetary reason, you could have a successful flow of a moving image without any flicker, but you didn’t have to use as much film.

48 frames per second is a very new thing. Was that even an issue when you were doing these interviews?

Yeah, it was coming up. The new new was 48 frames at 4K and that was basically talking about grain or pixels digitally, horizontally across in terms of image. What do you think is interesting about Blu-ray?

I’ve noticed when celluloid films and digital movies are transferred they each look different, so in what format something is shot is a factor in how it’s reproduced on home video.

Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It also comes down to the monitor that you’re watching. What are the black settings on your monitor, right? Did you remember to put the aspect ratio right or does it just automatically do it? We speak about it in a way through the cinematographer having to follow the image, from capturing it, from filming to following. You do change your lights and darks and densities when you’re going to make a Blu-ray. You used to at least. In different formats you used to have to scan it differently to show it in Europe. There’s all sorts of ways where you have to follow the image for quality control and just like if a projector is not set up right, your Blu-ray will look different on three different monitors.

You keep the debate very civil in the film. Did anyone get contentious?

I don't know about contentious. No, not in that sense. Michael Chapman was like, “Who cares?” Christopher Nolan was, “This is very important.” But as artists, we kind of come down to the bigger picture of if you do something with your heart and your passion, it doesn’t matter what you’re using. We didn’t really have any, “F*** digital” or “F*** film” or anything like that. We didn’t have that. We’re artists. [Laughs]

It seemed the part that got the most heated was the 3D issue. That was much more divisive among filmmakers than digital vs. film.

Yeah, that sounds right.

Why do you think that was?

It would depend on who was speaking about it. I think because it’s newish. I think there’s been so much good 3D and bad 3D. At the time it was going through this fad phase. It just brought a lot of opinions. It’s also, for how long it’s been around, imagistically, it’s kind of in its infancy in the sense of the sophistication of how to use it. Other than that gag, other than something coming out of the screen. Certainly Avatar, creating that world was another way as a new thing. Hugo with Scorsese, the framing and the journey, the entering into this world are examples of really successful 3D. There are other 3D that were dark, looked sh*tty, no reason to exist. So when you’re having something like that that has success and people are being asked to use it and the audience is, and you have good and bad, I think it creates really strong opinion.

As an actor, do you prefer the speed of digital on the set with no down time?

Yeah, at times it’s nice. Sometimes it’s nice that you don’t have that clock running. It’s running but it’s not as short. The typical 35mm film role is over nine minutes but under 10 minutes. New digital cameras, depending on what rate you’re recording at, you can have 40 minutes, an hour and a half. You can just roll, so those bring freedoms to it and possibilities. Sometimes you have to say, “Stop.”

You just directed The Man of Tai Chi. Did you use film or digital?

Yeah, I just got back. We filmed in China, in Beijing and Hong Kong and we shot digitally on the Arri Studio Camera which is a full chip camera.

Was that your artistic choice or out of necessity?

I went into it going in going, “Okay, I’d like to shoot this photochemically.” I did some motion blur tests just to see how digital would deal with motion blur because it’s a Kung Fu movie. I wanted to see those artifacts. Then it was like, “Okay, we’re shooting in China. What is developing in Beijing like? Okay, we don’t know. How much does film cost? Where are we going to get it?” So I started to go into it from a production side of it to look at digital, because film had some issues there to me. So then I tested cameras and looks and ended up with the Arri which is awesome.

With Tai Chi and 47 Ronin are you using your old Matrix skills or all new ones?

[Laughs] I had some wonderful training in the Matrix films so that gives me a bit of a foundation, but you know I’m older. I got older knees, so my older knees are standing on that foundation. But I have a good Kung Fu fight in Man of Tai Chi and in Ronin I get to do some things.

continued on next post

[GeneChing]

Now the interview gets a little silly.

Some of my colleagues already asked you about Bill and Ted 3 earlier today.

Uh-huh.

Is now a good time for that?

I have no idea if it’s a good time or a bad time. It’s certainly a surreal time. I don't know what it would be like to play that role right now. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too harmful to my health. Those films are filled with such love and joy. We have a script and it’s funny, so we’ll see.

How long ago was the script finished?

A while ago. It’s a first draft.

Would Bill and Ted be LMFAO fans now?

I don’t know.

They’d be classic metal snobs, right?

I don't know. I don't know.

Would they have liked Dogstar?

Probably not. I don't think we rocked in quite the right way for them.

That might be too meta too.

Yeah, maybe.

Were the film clips and behind the scenes footage in Side by Side easy to license?

Our approach was if anyone spoke about anything specifically, then we would try to illustrate it in a movie. So that was our approach.

Did you have to call in any favors?

Yeah, sometimes. We did some fair use so it was really just trying to do it like that.

Are there some extended interviews that could be on a DVD? Who was good in a longer form session?

They were all good in a longer form. Yeah, hopefully if it ever has that life of extras and stuff, we’d like to make that available. We interviewed over 140 people and I think really are a part of capturing this evolution/revolution from so many people involved in the industry of moviemaking, of this art form. So I’d like to have that archived or made available as: okay, here’s a film university or here’s a film school or here’s an academy. Here they are. Make these available to whoever is here to be able to watch all of these full-length interviews. We’re cutting some of them now but yeah, I’d like to make them available.

We’d love to hear more from Nolan, Fincher, Soderbergh…

Yeah, that’s up to Tribeca [Film] too for a while because they own the movie, they have rights to the movie for a while.

How much time do you actually have to watch movies these days?

I’ve been pretty busy. I was filming over the past, with prep, like nine months but I was watching a lot of Kung Fu movies. So I was making time, just to look how Kung Fu movies have been shot. What are the different ways, styles, camera angles, lenses and stuff, and editing styles. Then working with the cinematographer, Elliot Davis, we would watch movies together and just look at things. As a civilian, maybe I won’t watch a movie for a month and then maybe I’ll watch like 12 of them.

Luckily it’s my job, so I can always say I have to watch this for work.

Isn’t that great? I mean, I love it and I love going to the cinema.

But I still feel like I don’t watch enough.

Yeah.

Do you have any cool obscure Kung Fu movie recommendations?

I don’t have any that an aficionado would not know.

Were you watching any of those movies during The Matrix also?

During the Matrix time we looked at Yuen Woo-Ping films, so it was Fist of Legend, Tai Chi Master, Iron Monkey. I got to work with him on Man of Tai Chi so that was really an honor. He did the choreography.

Well, it’s great to have a discussion about hardcore film and how it’s done.

Yeah, it was extraordinary. We worked on it for about a year and a half. It was really great to sit down with people and speak about their passion of movies.

And to document it so anyone who doesn’t know the specifics and digest it, and the techies can get into it too.

Yeah, Chris and my ambition was to make something that would be interesting to the specialist through people’s opinions and perspectives, and for anybody who likes movies just to be able to go behind the scenes and to see how it’s made, how it’s done. To hopefully deepen the appreciation for what we watch and how we watch it. That was our hope.

[GeneChing]

There's interview vid if you follow the link.

Keanu Reeves knows kung fu – shows us with 47 Ronin" and "Man of Tai Chi (http://entertainment.stv.tv/film/188034-keanu-reeves-knows-kung-fu-shows-us-with-47-ronin-and-man-of-tai-chi/)
STV 31 August 2012 10:30 BST

The 47-year-old actor has 47 Ronin and Man of Tai Chi under his belt – and is making his feature film directorial debut with the latter.

47 Ronin is a big-budget retelling of a classic Japanese tale – with Reeves playing an outsider alongside a mostly Japanese cast. Directed by first-timer Carl Rinsch, it tells of 47 samurai in 18th century Japan who avenge the murder of their master.

Shot in 3D, the film's release has been repeatedly delayed. It was initially set for release late this year but Universal has now scheduled it for winter 2013. Reeves said he was doing additional shooting on the movie in the fall.

Reeves said in an interview: "It's an ambitious film. It's an ambitious film in theme and it was ambitious in its scale.

"I think it's something special. It's really historical, fantastical. It's a big story, you know – it's like Revenge, Love, Honor, Outsider. Those take time and care."

Meanwhile, while Reeves was producing and hosting a documentary about digital cinema – Side By Side – he also directed his first movie.

It's called Man of Tai Chi and features Tiger Chen Hu and Iko Uwais, known for his role in The Raid: Redemption. In post-production, the film doesn’t have a release date as yet.

Reeves explained: "I love kung fu movies. I love the genre. And I was working with a gentleman named Chen Hu, Tiger Chen, who helped train me in The Matrix, for the first Matrix film.

"We stayed friends and he started to do some acting. So I started to work with him, developing a story for him. It turned into Man of Tai Chi and we worked on it for about like I said five, six years."

The film shot mostly in China and is based loosely on the life of Hu and his teacher.

"Tiger is a great martial artist," Reeves said. "He's got this really traditional background. And he's also a modern man. And so the story is based around his character in a way."

Reeves says there are 14 fights in his movie, and he joined in one. While he hasn't formally studied martial arts since he was a kid, he remains fascinated by how it plays on-screen.

"I did some studying when I was a little kid, you know. Took some akido and did some jumping around stuff. But I don't have any belts," he said. "I know movie kung fu. And I had one fight in the film, a super fight."

[GeneChing]

Following the code of the samurai (http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/183037371.html)
http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/54400vicnewsAE-AGGVRonin3PDec1212.jpg
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria curator of Asian art Barry Till spent the last few years hunting down century-old Japanese woodblock prints related to the famed story of the 47 ronin.
By Edward Hill - Victoria News
Published: December 11, 2012 11:00 AM
Updated: December 11, 2012 11:56 AM

A venerated, blood-soaked 300-year-old tale of revenge and loyalty that still resonates through Japan today, is being played out on the walls of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

The gallery has launched Virtuous Vendetta: The story of the 47 Ronin in Prints, a collection of 69 meticulous woodblock images produced by Japan’s finest artists in the 1700 and 1800s. The individual scenes follow the oft-repeated true story of the 47 ronin, while demonstrating the striking detail in what 150 years ago was considered disposable, mass produced art.

“It is a tragedy. Like the Greeks, the Japanese like their tragic stories,” said Barry Till, curator of Asian art for the AGGV for 31 years. Till pulled the collection together over the past several decades. “The story has become the ultimate symbol of the spirit of loyalty to one’s master, no matter what.”

The story unfolds in 1701, with feudal lords Asano Naganori and the elder Kira Yoshinaka, a greedy man who demanded large bribes for advice on official etiquette. Enraged, Asano drew his sword and nicked Kira in the forehead, although unsheathing his weapon within the shogun’s grounds was a serious offence.

On the shogun’s order, Asano committed seppuku – ritual suicide – setting in motion a plot for revenge by Asano’s samurai warriors against Lord Kira. Forty-six masterless samurai called ronin (the 47th is rumoured to be a warrior who wasn’t quite a samurai) bided their time before launching an attack. The lead ronin Ôishi Kuranosuke even made himself appear as a drunk and a womanizer to lull Kira’s men into complacency.

“After a year-and-a-half they assaulted Kira’s mansion. They killed many bodyguards, found Kira and presented him with the sword of their master to commit suicide. Kira refused so they cut off his head,” Till said moving from print to print.

Villagers hailed the ronin as heroes as they travelled to Tokyo to present Kira’s head to their master’s grave. “These samurai showed the ultimate loyalty,” Till said, “and they knew because of it, they had to kill themselves.”

Again on the shogun’s orders and without question, the 46 committed seppuku. Within weeks of their deaths in 1703, people began telling the story of revenge of the ronin through kabuki theater. Millions of ornate woodblock prints soon followed as the story struck a chord with Japanese society and gained widespread popularity.

“The prints are art of the masses, often posted in houses until they fell apart and were thrown out,” said Till, who wrote a book on the prints of the 47 ronin. “Some prints were put into storage. Often you find ones that are 150 to 200 years old in pristine condition. New ones are found all the time.”

Till collected approximately 25 new ronin prints over the past two years through online auctions. Recently depressed prices also brought many Japanese woodblock prints out of the woodwork.

Auctioned prints can fetch up to $400, but $150 is an average price. “Ten years ago it would have been double or triple. It’s a good time to buy,” Till said.

The prints add to the 4000-plus pieces of Japanese art owned by the AGGV. “We have arguably the best collection of Japanese art in Canada – samurai suits, ceramics, paintings,” he said.

Till had planned the exhibition to coincide with the release of the movie 47 Ronin which stars Keanu Reeves, although that film’s release date is now December 2013.

“The scenes are so expressive. The outfits are so strong and powerful,” Till said. “I wanted to show how popular the story is in Japan.”

Virtuous Vendetta prints are on display at AGGV until March 31, 2013. Barry Till is offering a curator’s tour on Jan. 16, 2013 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. See aggv.ca for more. At least now we know why we didn't see this film open last month.

[GeneChing]

Wait...giants and sorcerers? :rolleyes:

And the Great Wall? Must make new thread.


Most troubled movie productions (http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/19/most-troubled-movie-productions)
By Jim Slotek ,QMI Agency

First posted: Monday, November 19, 2012 12:42 PM EST | Updated: Monday, November 19, 2012 12:49 PM EST

In a parallel universe, the blockbuster 47 Ronin is opening this week.

But on this planet, the 18th century samurai revenge story starring Keanu Reeves is a financial sinkhole that has been pushed ahead like the U.S. debt. Once skedded to open Nov. 21, it's bounced all the way to Christmas 2013.

There aren't many casinos that take nine-figure bets. But Hollywood does.

Here are some of those "iffy" bets/troubled productions.

World War Z

Based on the zombie apocalypse novel by Max Brooks.

The stars: Brad Pitt, Brad Pitt and Brad Pitt. Also Bryan Cranston, Matthew Fox.

The budget: $125 million -- reportedly long blown.

What went wrong?: Weirdest setback -- in Budapest, when Hungarian anti-terrorist authorities confiscated the production's guns (which turned out to be fully functional -- for "method" shoot-outs maybe?). The studio soured on original writer J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5) and hired Lost co-creators Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard to write re-shoots. Originally for Christmas 2012, WWZ is now due next summer.

Can it be saved?: Maybe. Pitt's last "troubled production," Moneyball, was a hit. On the other hand, the trailers have not knocked people's socks off.

47 Ronin

The backstory: Based on a true story, the project was announced in 2008, with the addition of Lord Of The Rings-esque elements of giants and sorcerers.

The stars: Keanu Reeves as the outcast Kai, and a cast of Japanese actors, including Hiroyuki Sanada as the samurai leader and Tadanobu Asano as evil Lord Kira.

The budget: Originally $175 mil -- now $225 mil.

What went wrong?: The studio "yoinked" the film from first-time director Carl Rinsch, and ordered re-shoots with "more Keanu!" (kind of like "more cowbell!")

Can it be saved?: Unlikely. Keanu hasn't had much success in movies where he doesn't say "Whoa." It'll do well in Japan, though.

The Great Wall

The backstory: Horror film about the "real" reason they built the Great Wall Of China (monsters). Based on an idea by World War Z author Brooks. Snakebit much, Max?

The stars: Henry Cavill (soon to be Superman), Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

The budget: $100 mil-plus

What went wrong?: Fall filming in China was scrapped due to "bad weather." Shaky financing was rumoured. New start date is spring, but director Ed Zwick quit.

Can it be saved?: A billion Chinese moviegoers say, "Yes!"

Fury Road, a.k.a. Mad Max 4

The Backstory: After decades, original series editor George Miller got a green light to start filming in Namibia this summer.

The stars: Tom Hardy (as the new Max Rockatansky), Charlize Theron

The budget: $100 million

What went wrong?: They're still there, and with the budget ballooning, the studio sent a rep to kick Miller's butt.

Can it be saved? Probably. The curiosity factor will be strong for the first Mad Max movie in nearly 30 years.

Paradise Lost

The Backstory: Bradley Cooper's pet project, an epic treatment of Milton's saga of the war between Heaven and Hell, with Alex Proyas (The Crow) as director.

The stars: Cooper as Lucifer, Casey Affleck, Benjamin Walker, Djimon Hounsou, Rufus Sewell

The budget: $120 mil

What went wrong: Somebody actually crunched the FX cost of a war between Heaven and Hell. The word Avatar got bandied about. It'd be filming now, but the axe fell in September.

Can it be saved?: When Hell freezes over.

[GeneChing]

Xmas this year? Seriously? :rolleyes:

Film: Japanese legend gets Hollywood remake starring Keanu Reeves (http://dailyemerald.com/2013/02/12/film-japanese-legend-gets-hollywood-remake-starring-keanu-reeves/)
Posted by Sam Bouchat on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 5:14 pm.

The Akō Vendetta, a hugely well-known historical event in Japan, occurred in 1703 (during the Edo period). A group of samurai planned out and exacted revenge for their dead master, who had been forced to commit suicide about a year earlier after attacking another high-ranking individual. Immediately after the event, it was written into plays, stories and puppet shows, and told through word-of-mouth as a symbol of the true level of loyalty samurai should hold to their master — even after their master dies and the samurai become ronin, or masterless samurai, the most commendable samurai maintain their loyalty.

Since then, hundreds of versions of this event have found their way into older and contemporary culture, inside and outside Japan. The most recent example is a film currently in the works, “47 Ronin,” starring Keanu Reeves (“The Matrix” trilogy) as Kai, a half Japanese, half British ronin. His character was created especially for this film, and has not been in past versions of the story. Reeves is the only non-Japanese member of the main cast, though the film will be released in English.

The film, already postponed several times from its original released date in November 2012 to its current released date on Dec. 25, 2013, is struggling to come to fruition. Director Carl Rinsch (who has only directed short films up to this point) was reportedly removed from the editing process of the film for straying from Universal Studios’ desires for the product. The film has gone severely over budget (from $175 million to $225 million) and Rinsch apparently struggled to make Reeves the focus of the production.

Despite an impressive Japanese cast, such as Hiroyuki Sanada (“The Last Samurai”), Tadanobu Asano (“Thor”) and Rinko Kikuchi (“Babel”), the shaky status of “47 Ronin” may leave fans of this centuries-old Japanese legend worried about the outcome of the film (if there is one).

[GeneChing]

Are you ****ing kidding me? Hiroshi Inagaki is spinning in his grave. :(

Four Posters Revealed for 47 Ronin, Starring Keanu Reeves (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=106846)
Source: IGN
July 23, 2013

Universal Pictures has revealed (via IGN) four posters for director Carl Rinsch's 47 Ronin, starring Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano and Rinko Kikuchi. The trailer should be coming soon as well, stay tuned.

From ancient Japan's most enduring tale, the epic 3D fantasy-adventure 47 Ronin is born. Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki 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.

http://comingsoon.net/nextraimages/47roninpostersmall1.jpg
http://comingsoon.net/nextraimages/47roninpostersmall2.jpg
http://comingsoon.net/nextraimages/47roninpostersmall3.jpg
http://comingsoon.net/nextraimages/47roninpostersmall4.jpg

[sanjuro_ronin]

Obviously its a "version" off and not a remake of the original.
That said, it is also one of the signs of the apocalypse.
We're all gonna die.
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqDCDWKgZWmIH42sPDkbchmY8wIq7mx 8lc_KBMdndtMfRq7VpCIw

[Jimbo]

Now a Japanese director should go to Scotland and film a new Braveheart, starring Hiroyuki Sanada as William Wallace.

[GeneChing]

Sanada would have to take time out from Wolverine (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52772) and Revenge too.

Inagaki directed Chushingura (1962) which is not the 'original'. There were earlier versions in '41 and '58. But Inagaki's version is by far the best. The final siege scene is excellent. It is remembered as the one that features Toshiro Mifune, although Mifune's part is almost an extended cameo.

The real 'original' version was a historic event. My kendo dojo made a pilgrimage to the site where there is a museum honoring the Ronin that houses their artifacts and weapons. I didn't go on that trip unfortunately, as it was before I was a member there, but it was described to me on many post-training session libations.


47 Ronin Posters Baffle and Amuse People Online in Japan (http://kotaku.com/47-ronin-posters-baffle-and-amuse-people-online-in-japa-892954121)

Hollywood is doing a big budget version of the Forty-seven Ronin, a famous historic incident of samurai honor , loyalty, and revenge. The big screen version seems different.

While there really were forty-seven ronin that lived in the 18th century, the movie's set "in a world of witches and giants". According to Variety, it will mix "fantasy elements of the sort seen in The Lord of the Rings pics, with gritty battle scenes akin to those in films such as Gladiator." Oh. Okay.

Pacific Rim is Guillermo del Toro's big love letter to Japanese monster movies like Godzilla and anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion. Too bad… Read…

One redeeming factor is that the film's producers have signed on Japanese actors, such as Tadanobu Asano, Kou Shibasaki, Jin Akanishi, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rinko Kikuchi.

That being said, when you say "Forty-seven Ronin", people probably think of something closer to the 1962 Toshiro Mifune film Chushingura, or what iconic filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku brought to life with his 1978 film Swords of Vengeance—or the various kabuki performances, play, or depictions in art and popular culture.

It's impossible to understate how famous the Forty-seven Ronin story is in Japan. In the U.S., it would be the equivalent of something like the Alamo.

So, you can probably understand why these movie posters, which are certainly not traditionally Japanese, seem somewhat vexing for many. It would be like seeing James Bowie wield magic instead of his iconic knife, or having the Alamo populated with giants.

On 2ch, Japan's largest forum, many commenters seemed puzzled by the posters. Granted, these are just posters, and the film itself might be wonderful.

"What are these, new Tekken characters?" asked one 2ch commenter.

"This really doesn't evoke the Forty-seven Ronin," wrote another. "But whatever, they can do whatever they like." Others immediately wrote off the movie, while one commenter said, "It seems like it's mixed with The Avengers." Another chimed in, "I imagine the story is something like out of Predator."

"Japan is the place that can truly understand [this story], but it doesn't even seem to be aimed at Japan," chimed in another—to which someone retorted that people in Japan probably wouldn't get it anyway, so they should do what they like. Others also said it was a movie, so it should be judged—whether it's good or bad—solely on its own merits.

"Actually, this is so different from the Forty-seven Ronin, that it actually seems like it will be fun," wrote one commenter. Others said that this was simply entertainment and didn't necessarily need historical facts.

"Looking at these posters, it seems like the court official they're going to kill will shoot lasers out of his eyes like the last boss in a video game," added a commenter. Let's hope so!

47 Ronin will be out this Christmas, complete with samurai, witches, and, uh, giants. No word on the lasers.
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18uugqq8s8k09jpg/k-bigpic.jpg

[doug maverick]

after viewing the trailer which ill post later. this isnt 47 ronin./. oh it has 47 ronin in it but that is the extent.

[GeneChing]

It does look kind of good. If only they had called it the 46 Ronin or the 48 Ronin...:rolleyes:

47 Ronin - Official Trailer (HD) Keanu Reeves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_-pqoPDVQ)

[GeneChing]

The buzz that the trailer and posters is creating got me thinking about Keanu as a Hollywood/Chollywood playa. He is reminding me of Seagal (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37259) now in the way he is working odd angles and is mostly disregarded and characterized as a sort of clown celeb. Despite the oddness of Seagal's MMA and Russian connections, it is an interesting juxtaposition. With Keanu, his latest moves in cinema also make for an interesting juxtaposition. We here all know he just dropped his PRC ace card, MoTC (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60170) in China, and that it failed to deliver. It is really interesting that with all of this coverage of 47R, MoTC is never mentioned.


Video: Trailer for Keanu Reeves' troubled '47 Ronin' debut (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-47-ronin-trailer-debuts-keanu-reeves-20130724,0,4445064.story)
By John Horn
July 24, 2013, 11:58 a.m.
“We believe you are the only one who can help us.”

That ominous plea comes about halfway through the new trailer for “47 Ronin,” and while it’s directed at the character played by Keanu Reeves the entreaty could also describe how much Universal Pictures needs the actor to deliver a big audience for the troubled production.

Filmed in early 2011, the expensive movie—the budget was originally $175 million but has surpassed that figure—originally was set for release last Thanksgiving.

But Universal delayed the release to this February and then again to this Christmas because the film needed reshoots and more time to complete its visual effects.

Shot in 3-D by Carl Rinsch, a music video and commercial director who had never made a studio feature, “47 Ronin” stars a largely Japanese cast (including Hiroyuki Sanada, Ko Shibasaki and Rinko Kikuchi) alongside Reeves, who has not starred in a blockbuster hit since the "Matrix" trilogy.

"47 Ronin" is a new version of a Japanese legend about a group of samurai who avenge the death of their master and then commit ritual suicide.

As the trailer makes clear, there is no shortage of over-the-top visual effects in the film, but Universal has to make sure “47 Ronin” can hold its own against the monsters and beasts from Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” which opens just two weeks before “47 Ronin" finally arrives.

[MightyB]

It does look kind of good. If only they had called it the 46 Ronin or the 48 Ronin...:rolleyes:

47 Ronin - Official Trailer (HD) Keanu Reeves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_-pqoPDVQ)

Facebook suggested I watch this... I now want to wash out my eyes!

[sanjuro_ronin]

Looks cool.

[MightyB]

Looks cool.

Tom Cruise and Keano should duel to the death.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Tom Cruise and Keano should duel to the death.

I'd pay to see that !

[Hebrew Hammer]

The preview gave me a semi! After just having read the 47 Ronin, I'm ok with this Keanu version, it won't detract from the original tale. It's no where near it in terms of story line. With the new 300 film, the second Hobbit edition coming up this could be a good year for hollywood from my view point. I will have actually seen more films in the theater this year than I have in many.


Tom Cruise and Keano should duel to the death.

That would be epic...along with a Seagal vs. Van Damm death match.

[GeneChing]

Warning: not in English. ;)
47 RONIN - Official International Trailer #2 (2013) [HD] Keanu Reeves (with captions / subtitles) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz6JU4KEyv0)

[Hebrew Hammer]

Warning: not in English. ;)
47 RONIN - Official International Trailer #2 (2013) [HD] Keanu Reeves (with captions / subtitles) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz6JU4KEyv0)

Kind of sounds cool in Russian...but you can get the English subtitles with the CC button.

[GeneChing]

I think it sounds better in Russian, just like Seagal and Van Damme movies sound better in Spanish.

[Subitai]

47 Ronin UK Trailer (2013) - Keanu Reeves Movie HD

Published on Oct 7, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LAhSfNfq4E



Well...all we can do is wait and see??

[Hebrew Hammer]

Still optimistic about this, follow the link.

http://twitchfilm.com/2013/10/47-ronin-watch-the-new-trailer.html

[enoajnin]

One of the tags in the movie I think was "There is a story of 47 warrriors" My immediate thought was There is and this movie isn't that story.

But then I read this article over at i09 and felt better about the movie, especially when I realized Reeves wasn't directing this one.

Here is the article:




That's the historical event. We went to the site. It's fantastic! You can still go there and pray today. That's that. Then there's this thing called "Chūshingura," which is the tradition of the storytelling of the "47 Ronin." That means Chūshingura is not just a historically accurate story. It's taking it and making it your own. There's been the "Hello Kitty Chūshingura." They've told the "47 Ronin" with all women.

. . . For me, when I first looked at it, I went, "Oh, wow, this is hallowed ground. I don't want to trespass on it. I don't want to f*ck up a national, iconic, story, but then I started realizing, "No – that's the fun of it, is to make it your own." And what (screenwriter) Chris Morgan had done from the very beginning was to say, "What if you made some of the samurai story a fantasy?" And so we just leaned into that and invested that. "Okay, what are some of the fantasy characters I, as a westerner never heard of?" I mean I knew of Kirin Beer, but I can't imagine a real Kirin or Tengu Warrior. I never knew what a Tengu Warrior was, and the more I looked into it, the more I saw that the myth and the fantasy of Japan had more characters in it than Marvel could ever have in their entire menagerie, so I thought, "Okay, this is an opportunity to do something totally, totally different, so our version of "47 Ronin," our "Chūshingura" story, is going to be a samurai fantasy epic. I thought, "That's cool. I haven't f*cking seen that before. Great! Kurosawa on meth. I'll do that!"

[Lucas]

saw a great preview for this yesterday when i watched thor. it looks to be of great quality, some nice looking action and all around well put together.

it has that 'last samurai' white man to the rescue kind of shat vibe to it...but i guess thats the white wash of hollywood we have all come to expect....:rolleyes:

Hiroyuki Sanada is in it, which is awesome coming off of his role in The Wolverine, in which he did very well. funny thing is that sanada, if you recall, starred in The Last Samurai....

[GeneChing]

This is one of those 'do the math' issues. :rolleyes:

Media & Entertainment
12/23/2013 @ 9:51AM
Review: '47 Ronin' (http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2013/12/23/review-47-ronin/)

http://b-i.forbesimg.com/scottmendelson/files/2013/12/new47ronin-poster-189x300.jpg

The Box Office:

It is fitting that we end the 2013 box office year, one in which overseas box office became more important than ever, with a massively expensive would-be blockbuster that seems designed to play far better outside US shores. Universal entrusted Carl Rinsch, a first-time director, with this lavish period piece revamp of a famous Japanese legend and then watched as reshoots and delays caused the budget to skyrocket to anywhere between $175 million and $225 million.

The good news is that Keanu Reeves has been a reliably constant draw for big-scale action pictures. The bad news is that he hasn’t carried a major studio release since 20th Century Fox's The Day The Earth Stood Still in 2008 ($233m worldwide on an $80m budget) and Warner Bros.’ Constantine ($230m on a $100m budget) before that back in 2005. The other bad news is that Reeves’ heyday was during a period when $100 million was considered expensive and $200m worldwide was an unquestionable hit. Outside of the Matrix trilogy, Reeves’ biggest global grosser is Speed with $350m.

So in order to just break even, 47 Ronin has to make more than the Reeves’ second biggest grosser, The Matrix, which earned $463m in 1999. 47 Ronin is a classic case of having to basically break records in order to break even. The odds are grim, especially with the film already more-or-less tanking in Japan with $2.8m after a couple weekends. I’m not one to predict doom, but it will be a miracle if this distinctly Eastern-flavored action picture does much business in America, with stronger overseas business basically being a coin toss.

The Review:

The highest compliment that I can pay Carl Rinsch’s 47 Ronin (from Universal, a division of Comcast CMCSA -0.02%) is that it doesn’t show any obvious signs of its infamous production turmoil. The film has a logical and coherent screenplay that gets from beginning to end without any major narrative hiccups. There are no obvious signs of dropped subplots or inexplicably deleted and/or reshot sequences. The film runs just under two hours and offers ample to time to plot, character, and action. While “competent” isn’t exactly high praise, 47 Ronin looks from the outset like a picture that went off without a hitch.

That isn’t to say that the film doesn’t have its problems. It at times resembles more of a tone poem than an actual adventure story, spending much of its running time to savor the locations and allow the characters to meditate or silently ponder their choices. It is perhaps unwise to criticize a big-scale fantasy picture for putting mood and atmosphere ahead of visual splendor and/or action, but the film spends quite a bit of time telling very little story. It is clear where the $175-$225m budget went, as its a visually splendid film, rich in period detail, practical sets, and genuine fight choreography/stunt work. If only the pointless 3D didn’t darken the gorgeous visuals. Choose 2D if you can.

Also of note is the fact that top-billed Keanu Reeves is actually a supporting character. This is clearly Hiroyuki Sanada’s journey from beginning to end, as Reeves mostly stays in the background as a mostly ostracized “half-blood” adapted member of the clan. Reeves is his usual fine low-key self, but it’s clear that he was either brought aboard for marketing purposes or wanted to participate and didn’t want to turn the film into something akin to Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai. Regardless, Reeves gets a token romance with Kô Shibasaki and a climactic action beat that was seamlessly added later in the production.

The core story, of a group of former samurai uniting to avenge the death of their master, is loosely based on a famous bit of 18th century folklore, although I’m assuming the filmmakers added the supernatural elements. It’s a simple tale that suffers from a bit too much around the edges, but kudos to Universal for funding such a film without demanding that it be wall-to-wall action. The action set pieces are generally solid, even if I wish the takes had been just a second or two longer during the fight sequences. The picture uses its supernatural material sparsely until the end. While I won’t pretend that the CGI is photo-real, it serves the hazy “stuff of legend” feeling that the picture is generally going for.

Truth be told, this is a case where, fair or not, I could imagine myself being a little kinder to the film had it been a bit cheaper. When one is watching a film that needs to gross around $500 million worldwide to break even, one tends to notice that said film doesn’t quite provide the punch that will excite audiences and/or connect on a global scale required to recoup said investment. It is perhaps contradictory to admit that the film’s budget is mostly onscreen while also stating that the story could have been told much cheaper, but that’s the strange situation one finds themselves in when we start seeing $200m budgets for original properties that aren’t remotely “sure thing” investments.

Separated from financial concerns, 47 Ronin is a solid B-movie action drama, telling a classic story with just enough action and plenty of mood and visual beauty. I’m not enough of an expert on vintage Japanese cinema to know how accurate it is to the genre that it is trying to emulate, but to this relative novice, it seems to get the job done without insulting anyone. The film is well acted and handsomely staged, with a story that mostly makes sense and an ending that stays true to itself. It is all-but-sure to get lost in the Christmas season shuffle in America, but it deserves to find an appreciative audience somewhere down the line.

[SPJ]

went to see it in 3D on Christmas day.

do not like the ending.

No need to commit self ending, that is.

:)

[GeneChing]

I don't know if that totally counts as a review, SPJ. If it has anything to do with the original story, we know how it ends.


Keanu Reeves’ ‘47 Ronin’ Bombing: Universal Prepares for Major Loss (http://variety.com/2013/film/news/keanu-reeves-47-ronin-bombing-universal-prepares-for-big-loss-1201001065/)

http://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/47-ronin-wrightdown.jpg?w=490&h=276&crop=1
47 Ronin wright down
December 26, 2013 | 04:26PM PT
Studio confirms it took an unspecified writedown
Film Reporter
Dave McNary
Film Reporter @Variety_DMcNary

Universal Pictures has acknowledged that “47 Ronin” is a loser, disclosing that it’s taken the ususual step of writing down some if its $175 million cost prior to the current quarter.

The samurai tentpole, starring Keanu Reeves, opened Christmas Day in the U.S. with a soft $7 million at 2,688 locations, finishing sixth. Internationally, the film has opened in 14 territories for a total of $10 million through Wednesday. Though the film’s opening two weeks ago in Japan was dire, it finished first in its Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan openings.

Domestically, “47 Ronin” is projected to earn under $20 million through Sunday — the worst debut for a $150 million-plus movie in 2013.

Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp., issued a statement confirming the writedown but did not disclose its size.

“Universal Pictures regularly evaluates its film slate for potential adjustment,” the studio said. “In the case of ’47 Ronin,’ we adjusted film costs in previous quarters and as a result our financial performance will not be negatively impacted this quarter by its theatrical performance.”

Universal saw solid performances this year from “Fast and Furious 6″ and “Despicable Me 2.” It’s finishing third in overall U.S. box office with more than $1.4 billion in grosses, trailing Warner Bros. and Disney.

Earlier this year, Disney took a writedown on “The Lone Ranger” after losing nearly $200 million on the Johnny Depp Western.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I caught it last weekend, although I know it tanked in the box office, my matinee showing was half full in a big theater. I caught the 2D version. As the reviews poor in, it is disappointing, I believe Keanu just had a little too much influence on the story line and screen play. **** you Keanu!!! Why did Keanu's character even need to be the lead??? His Kendo needs work, his acting just hasn't gotten any better with age. The visual parts of the film were fantastic though, the monsters, costumes and special effects were great. It might have been better in Japanese with subtitles rather than the poorly accented English...just didn't feel right. It certainly doesn't do the original 47 Ronin any justice, I didn't expect it to based on the previews and would have been ok with that had the story been more compelling. It has none of the sophistication of the 'real' 47 Ronin revenge tale, that's the American film dumbing down effect. I just don't get why Hollywood doesn't think we either have the attention span or desire for complex stories and characters.

It's more of fantasy film and I'd give it 5 Bawangs out of 10.

[GeneChing]

Enter to win KungFuMagazine.com's contest for 47 RONIN COMBO PACK (DVD, BLU-RAY™ & BLU-RAY™ 3D) (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/sweepstakes-47-RONIN-COMBO-PACK.php)! Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 04/10/14.

[GeneChing]

I really wanted to hate this. Keanu bugs me. And Chushingura (1962) stands as one of my all time favs when it comes to classic chanbara flicks (I should revisit that film someday soon). The new 47 Ronin isn't horrible. It's not great, but not completely hate-able. It's kind of interesting as a reflection of East vs. West cinema. Instead of being some fantasy version of chanbara, it feels more like the bombastic Chinese epics nowadays, the animated narrated intro, the sweeping landscapes, the big sets blending w/CGI. It has gaudy unrestrained colors, not the Japanese aesthetic of pageantry thoroughly tightly-arranged minimalism, more like the ******* child of Eiko (Ishioka). The saving roles are Hiroyuki Sanada as the lead ronin (he is easily my fav Japanese actor right now) and Rinko Kikuchi as the fox witch with David Bowie eyes - she vamps it up deliciously. The sword fights are ok if you overlook that the first cut is a whirling expose-my-back-to-my-enemy slash. Keanu is a jedi wannabe with his Qui-gon hairdo and glowing katana (http://www.martialartsmart.com/weapons-shinai-bokens.html) that leaves blade trails ala V for Vendetta. It's actually these poached scenes that are the most amusing, like a Tarantino flick or Divergent - the You Only Live Twice poison strand from the ceiling to the sleeping victim, the Harry Potter contrails of evil, the dutch fleet which felt Pirated from the Caribbean. Keanu seems to still be wrasslin with Hapa neurosis, which is silly now as the hapa nation is rising. But still, it's nice to see a film get a U.S. theatrical release with an all Japanese cast - even the infamous Gedde Watanabe has a role. This was probably much better in 3D. The best thing I can say is that I wasn't totally offended by it.

[GeneChing]

See our 47 Ronin Combo Pack winners (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67501-47-Ronin-Combo-Pack-winners) thread.

[GeneChing]

47 Ronin Sequel, a Future-Set Cyberpunk Film, Lands Director Ron Yuan (https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/47-ronin-sequel-cyberpunk-ron-yuan/)
Keanu Reeves samurai movie 47 Ronin is getting a conceptual sequel, which is now set to be directed by Mulan actor Ron Yuan.
By Joseph Baxter
|
August 13, 2020

https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/keanu-reeves-47-ronin-universal.jpg?resize=768%2C432
Photo: Universal Pictures

47 Ronin may not have made an impact as an action flick—released in 2013 headlined by a post-Matrix, pre-John Wick comeback Keanu Reeves—but someone over at studio Universal apparently has enough love for the medieval-Japan samurai film to greenlight a sequel—specifically a cyberpunk sequel set in the far-future. Now, said sequel has a director.

Ron Yuan, an actor who moonlights as a director, has been hired to helm the untitled 47 Ronin sequel movie, according to Deadline. The film, set up at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment subsidiary Universal 1440 Entertainment, will contrast starkly from its historically-based, Reeves-starring predecessor, touted as a genre-hybrid cyberpunk story set 300 years in the future. It is also reportedly set to be directly distributed by Netflix, although that notion doesn’t seem to be reflected in the source report (at least in its current form). As appointed Yuan expresses in a statement:


“I’m incredibly excited to be working with Universal and the producing team on this genre-blending, martial arts, action, horror and cyber-punk film. This will be a fun, intense, supercharged thrill ride for viewers globally.”

2013’s 47 Ronin, directed by Carl Rinsh off a script by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini, put the often-adapted feudal-era Japanese historical tale through the lens of a supernatural fantasy actioner, centered on Keanu Reeves’s Kai, a half-Japanese, half-English adopted son of historically-based Lord Asano Naganori. A classic story of vengeance and undying loyalty commences against imperious power seeker Lord Kira (Thor’s Tadanobu Asano) after his machinations—carried out by shapeshifting witch Mizuki (Pacific Rim’s Rinko Kikuchi)—leads to Naganori’s execution. Consequently, Kai joins the rest of Naganori’s subsequently-exiled devotees—branded ronin (privilege-stripped samurai left without a master)—to embark on a low-odds militaristic endeavor to see their force of 47 overthrow Kira and his overwhelming armies.

47 Ronin, however, was a box office dud with a $151.8 million worldwide gross; a financial loss for the Universal-distributed picture against its $175 million budget. Thus, the sequel will initially come across as a surprising and vexing notion. However, the injected concept of a timeline leap to the far future, prospectively brandishing the kind of futuristic Japanese aesthetic famously displayed in anime such as Akira, does somewhat clarify the intent of the project, especially if it is Netflix-bound. Yet, it still leaves the question about why a project—a spiritual sequel at best—would even need to attach itself to the franchise of a failed film unless it will bear some substantive connection such as the return of Keanu Reeves, presumably as a descendant of Kai; a move that could be complementary to his upcoming starring video game role in Cyberpunk 2077. However, no cast members have been confirmed as of yet.

Appointed director Ron Yuan’s work as an actor will soon see him in Disney’s upcoming (streaming-shifted) Mulan live-action movie, also known from his recurring roles on Freeform’s Siren and Netflix’s Marco Polo. He has directed Asia-aimed features such as 2019 dance franchise offshoot Step-Up China and 2017 action thriller Unspoken: Diary of an Assassin, the latter of which co-stars Will Yun Lee, who—in a bit of a coincidence—happens to be a prominent part of another future-set cyberpunk offering, Netflix’s Altered Carbon.

47 Ronin 2 (title to be determined) doesn’t have any production or release windows set, but it certainly sounds like an eccentrically intriguing proposition.

threads
47 Ronin (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52762-47-Ronin)
47 Ronin sequel (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71847-47-Ronin-sequel)

[GeneChing]

The Black Belt from the 47 Ronin Temple (https://medium.com/@AdisaBanjoko/the-black-belt-from-the-47-ronin-179e54fddffa)

Adisa Banjoko aka Bishop
·
Follow
8 min read
·
12 hours ago

A friends journey to Japan to get buy a black belt- gets crazy!
A few months ago, while teaching and training in the UK a friend from SF in The Bay Area. His name is Prof. Greg Watkins at Stanford University. We met through a friend of ours named Remi when Remi invited me to run a youth chess summer program a few summers back. Greg and I hit it off immediately. He teaches philosophy, he knows Shakespeare better than most, and he loved the UFC. How could we not be cool?! He also has a deep respect for Eastern philosophy. I learned a lot from him about Zhuang Zi, Socrates and so much more.
So while I was in the UK, I called him one day to catch up and he said “Hey I’m going to Japan with my wife, do you want me to grab you anything? I was blown away and I said “Please grab me a black belt while you are out there.” He said “OK” and lets say a month or so later he messaged me asking me where to send it.
I told him to send it to America because I was so scared something might happen to it. I did not want it to get lost in the mail, etc cetera. So he sent it to my parents place. This all happened about 4 months back. I came back in October, and my dad had set the belt out for me.
So, while at my parents recently I was talking to my lady on Whats App and I showed her some of the stuff in my old bedroom. I opened one drawer and it had some incense in a purple box with beautiful art and Japanese writing on it.

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*94GfJBUB3w32qIgP9BtgwQ.jpeg
My kuro obi at Segakuji Temple in Japan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkKqGPLkFsU&t=1100s
Adisa Banjoko lecturing on Stoic philosophy at the NXT 45 mens retreat in the United Kingdom.

The box was sealed. The thing is, my parents hate incense. When I was about 13 I bought insense and a little burner for my room. It was the 1983. My parents were like “Don’t try to cover up the smell of marijuana with incense, boy!!” I was such a nerd, I did not even know what weed looked like yet! But I loved the incense and I hated that my parent thought I was trying to smoke something I had never even seen before. I was mischievous though, and it was the 1984. In reflection, their attitude at the time made sense.
My point is, I knew they did not purchase it. But I wanted to burn the incense immediately. I asked her if she sent it before I arrived in the states. She said no but wondered if maybe my parents had bought it for me and maybe forgotten. Once my friend Dr. David Timony sent me some amazing incense. I could tell by the box that something else was happening. I ruled Dr. Timony, my parents and my lady out immediately, and I got off the phone.
As soon as we hung up I wondered if maybe Greg had sent it. I called him. He said “Yeah, that incense came from Sengakuji Temple of the 47 Ronin”. My jaw dropped. The 47 Ronin is one of the best old school samurai stories from the middle ages. It is also a true story. It deserves the popularity of the 300 Spartans.
Check this out:
The story of the 47 Ronin, also known as the Ako Incident, unfolds in 18th-century Japan. After their lord, Asano Naganori, is forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official. He was set up to fail by a rival lord named Kira. Asano was ordered to kill himself and his loyal samurai, were made ronin ( become masterless warriors) . Led by Oishi Kuranosuke, the 47 Ronin patiently bide their time, enduring various humiliations and acting as if they have abandoned their samurai code. They take on other jobs. One of Anano’s high level samurai was seen running around bars and lives the life of what some might call a drunken bum. However, their true intention was to avenge their Lord Asano’s unjust forced death. They waited patiently for two years. January 30, 1703 the reunited warriors stormed Kira’s stronghold in a carefully planned attack. After being found in a hidden room, they gave him an opportunity to kill himself with same blade Asano used for seppuku. Kira refused, so and was beheaded with the same blade. The 47 Ronin then turn themselves in to authorities, willingly accepting their fate of seppuku. The tale of the 47 Ronin is a legendary example of loyalty, honor, and their unwavering commitment to avenging a master’s honor- even at the cost of their own lives. They were laid to rest at Sengakuji [Mountain Forest] Temple.

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*yYZ_eCjxnAXOVFDUf8Gdfw.jpeg
Map of Sengakuji Temple grounds.

“So, you didn’t get the pictures?” Greg asked in a confused tone.
“What pictures”? I asked even slightly more confused.
“My wife and I bought your black belt at the Isami store and took it to Sengakuji Temple, where the 47 Ronin are buried. We sat the belt at the altar and burned some incense. We took it to the graves of the father and son who led the attack. Then we mailed it to you. We sent pictures of the belt at the altar and the incense together.”
My mind was blown *insert appropriate emoji here*!! continued next post

[GeneChing]

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*5zG7Rvjuxi785fzUrw_Jeg.jpeg
A young man preparing incense for visitors to the temple of the courageous 47 Ronin.

I go back into the drawer and low and behold, I see the pictures. My heart soars and my eye tear up because I have loved the 47 Ronin for many years. When my son was a young teenager I gave him a very beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel (not bloody just incase parents were wondering). It is by Mike Richardson and illustrated flawlessly by Stan Sakai. I recommend it to anyone curious about the story. If your child is 12 or above it’s a good story about courage, loyalty and patience. I highly recommend it.
Stay away from the Keanu Reeves film (I love him as an actor but the writing for that was way more sci-fi than anything else). The Japanese old school film is great and its on YouTube, but I think it is too slow for modern moviegoers. Last Knight, is a European remake of the Japanese legend. Because it is a European remake, it falls far short of it’s potential. No film, has ever done the actual Ako Incident justice, sadly.
The crazy part is, a few weeks back I had given my belt to a kind friend, Jonny Oh (at the iconic Tiger Claw) who was getting my belt embroidered with the with the word: BANJOKO 7.21.21 on my belt. The numbers reflected the dated I got my belt. The thing was there was a big delay in getting my belt back. My friend Gene Ching explained that part it was because the Venerable Abbot of Shaolin, Shi Yongxin was visiting California. Jonny was overseeing his trip and because of it there would be a delay.
I told Gene, “I think it is the coolest thing that my belt is delayed because the Abbot of Shaolin is in California”. I had no problem being patient. I called Jonny as soon as I learned about the belt being taken to Sengakuji Temple. I reached out to Jonny the next day. He was super apologetic about the delay on my belt. Apparently he had fallen ill with the flu after The Abbot returned to Shaolin.
I explained that there was no apology necessary. Then I explained to him that the belt had been taken to the 47 Ronin Temple, and I wanted to have the 7.21.21. numbers replaced with BANJOKO 47. Jonny let me know that was possible. A gratitude beyond words filled my spiritual heart.
The morning after talking to Jonny, I went to the balcony, sat in the sun and burned incense from the temple. I did yoga and meditated. My focus that day, and this day is on gratitude and patience. I have two incense burners that were gifts to me. I use them often. One from my son, is long ceramic dragon with red eyes named Smaug (the dragon from The Hobbit) . The other is a smaller jade colored dragon I got from my second BJJ student nicknamed Skywalker. (the boy was nicknamed Skywalker). I named that dragon Bruce (after the iconic Bruce Lee).
On December 7th, 2023, my boy DeShawn swooped me over to the Tiger Claw HQ in Fremont, CA, to pick up my belt.

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*JLbhVMqRJYCKsQwXMm5mRg.jpeg
Jonny Oh President of Tiger Claw, and Adisa Banjoko with his new black belt.

Jonny greeted me with the belt in his hands, and we took a quick picture together. I walked out like a kid who got the big gift he wanted for his birthday. To celebrate, we went to eat at Vinum at New Park Mall. I had tea, veggie tempura, and the saba fish. Then we went to my homey King Kou’s house and caught up with him and Skywalker.

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*gHjCp68LGjavbHb1KOsGQw.jpeg
My Isami black belt straight from Japan! Jiu-jitsu gi by JREAM.

After I got home I put on my JREAM gi with my Heroes Martial Arts patch on the back. Then I put on The Belt from Sengakuji Temple, faced East and prayed. I thanked God for the honor of getting to the goal of achieving a kuro obi (black belt), and I thanked God for all of my teachers and training partners. I then prayed for the souls of the 47 Ronin. I asked that I be able to teach and compete honorably in the future with the same conviction they fought with.
The moral of the story: Sometimes the God/Universe does not give you what you want when you think you want it, so that something greater can be organized for you. If you attempt to force a thing into being, you can get it. However, what you got in a rushed manner, my not have been the best thing. With patience the positive conspiracies of divine order can be left to manifest their own beauty on your behalf. I am grateful to Greg and his wife Sue for getting the Isami belt and taking it to the Sengakuji Temple. I know they did not have to do any of that. I am grateful to Jonny Oh, Gene Ching and everyone at Tiger Claw in Fremont, CA for getting my belt embroidered immaculately.
This experience has expanded and instilled my sense of patience and acceptance of whatever comes to me in the future. I hope you, too, can get a sense of its value the next time you hit the mats or life hits you hard.
Adisa Banjoko is a BJJ black belt, award winning writer, speaker and documentary filmmaker. Adisa has lectured on martial arts history and philosophy at Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Oberlin and many other universities. He founded the ONLINE community, the Resilient Men’s Group to help men heal mentally, emotionally and physically.

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