47 Ronin (2013 film)

47 Ronin is a 2013 American historical fantasy action film directed by Carl Rinsch in his sole theatrical directorial effort. Written by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini from a story conceived by Morgan and Walter Hamada, the film is a work of Chūshingura ("The Treasury of Loyal Retainers"), a fictionalized account of the forty-seven rōnin, a real-life group of masterless samurai in 18th-century Japan who avenged the death of their daimyō Asano Naganori by battling his rival Kira Yoshinaka. Starring Keanu Reeves in the lead role along with Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi and Ko Shibasaki, the film bears little resemblance to its historical basis compared to previous adaptations, and instead serves as a stylized interpretation set "in a world of witches and giants." Development on the film began in 2008 with Rinsch, who had previously filmed "visual and stylish" commercials for various companies, signing on to direct the following year. After five Japanese actors were cast alongside Reeves between March and April 2011, filming took place in Budapest the same month before moving to Shepperton Studios in England, while additional filming in Japan was planned. Reshoots took place in London in August 2012. 47 Ronin first premiered in Japan on December 6, 2013, before being released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 2013, by Universal Pictures in both 3D and 2D formats. Upon release, 47 Ronin was panned by critics and grossed a total of $151.8 million against its production budget of $175–225 million, becoming a box-office bomb that left Universal in the red for 2013. Variety listed 47 Ronin as one of "Hollywood's biggest box office bombs of 2013". A standalone sequel, Blade of the 47 Ronin, was released on October 25, 2022, on Netflix.