Four more join Keanu Reeves in 47 Ronin

Keanu Reeves: Samurai.  I'm still yet to wrap my brain around the idea of Reeves as a masterless samurai in Carl Erik Rinch's 47 Ronin, an update of the classic Japanese tale of a band of swordsmen seeking revenge for their master's murder. I've heard a couple people try to compare it to Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, but the two stories aren't remotely the same. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out. 

Even if Reeves does stink, we're talkin' 46 other potentially badass warriors to pick up some of the slack.  Universal Pictures issued a press release announcing the addition of four top notch Japanese actors, including one of my personal favorites. 


The first is Rinku Kikuchi, the Academy Award nominated actress from Babel, Assault Girls, and The Brothers Bloom. She was one of the reasons why I went to the theater four times to see Bloom back in 2009. And before you even form the thought, no it's not because she's hot. She has the ability to get a lot of emotion across without saying a single word. She's very expressive. You see it both in Babel and in The Brothers Bloom. Even to some degree in Assault Girls, which is not a movie I would endorse by any stretch. In 47 Ronin she'll be playing Mizuki, a follower of the treacherous Lord Kira. Kira will be played by Tadanobu Asano, who most will recognize from Ichi the Killer but is absolutely amazing in Mongol(a must see film).

The final two are Hiroyuki Sanada(The Last Samurai, Sunshine) as Oish, the ronin's chief samurai; and Kou Shibasaki(One Missed Call) as the love interest of Reeve's character.  Production is set to begin later this month, based on a script by Chris Morgan(Fast & Furious, Wanted).

Referred to as Japan's "national legend", 47 Ronin is the most adapted work in the country's history. The film is due to be released on November 21st, 2012. 

Thanks to Slashfilm for the image featuring the cast.