47 Ronin (2013 film)

47 Ronin
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCarl Rinsch
Screenplay byChris Morgan
Hossein Amini
Story byChris Morgan
Walter Hamada
Produced byPamela Abdy
Eric McLeod
StarringKeanu Reeves
Hiroyuki Sanada
Tadanobu Asano
Rinko Kikuchi
Ko Shibasaki
CinematographyJohn Mathieson
Edited byStuart Baird
Music byIlan Eshkeri
Production
companies
H2F Entertainment
Mid Atlantic Films
Moving Picture Company
DMG Entertainment
Warrior Productions
Stuber Productions
Relativity Media
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • December 6, 2013 (2013-12-06) (Japan)
  • December 25, 2013 (2013-12-25) (United States)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Japanese
Budget$175–225 million[1][2][3]
Box office$151.8 million[1]

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."[4]

Development on the film began in 2008 with Rinsch, who has previously filmed "visual and stylish" blurbs 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 received generally negative reviews from critics[5][6][7] 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.[8] Variety listed 47 Ronin as one of "Hollywood's biggest box office bombs of 2013".[9]

A standalone sequel, Blade of the 47 Ronin, was released on October 25, 2022 on Netflix.

  1. ^ a b "47 Ronin (2013)". Box Office Mojo. February 26, 2014. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  2. ^ Masters, Kim (May 23, 2012). "'Battleship' Fallout: Lessons From a Box Office Sinking (Analysis)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Lee, Chris (December 25, 2013). "Troubled '47 Ronin' may be headed for a box office reckoning". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  4. ^ Boucher, Geoff (May 24, 2011). "Keanu Reeves and '47 Ronin' search for 'honor, revenge and impossible love'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  5. ^ Schroter, Shawn (December 10, 2013). "Japan Unbowed by '47 Ronin'". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  6. ^ "47 Ronin (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "47 Ronin". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  8. ^ "'47 Ronin': The Inside Story of Universal's Samurai Disaster". Variety. December 30, 2013. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  9. ^ Variety Staff (December 26, 2013). "Hollywood's Biggest Box Office Bombs of 2013". Variety. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2014.