Last we heard about 47 RONIN was the incredibly cool decision to have Atticus Ross score the film. Today’s news is signifcantly less cool, as it deals with pushing the release date back from “sometime in November” to February 8th, 2013. I suppose it’s nice to actually have a solid date to look forward to, but I more just want to see this movie right now. I’m just so damn intrigued by the collection of talent before and behind the camera as well as the story set to be told that I really just want to see it as soon as physically possible.
The unanswered question at this time is whether the release date shift has to do with trouble completing the film, or the studio needing an early Sping action release, or simply a lack of available marketing money. Or something else entirely.
Starring Keanu Reeves, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rinko Kukuchi, and Kou Shibasaki, 47 RONIN is scripted by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini and directed by Carl Erik Rinsch.
Plot recap: An epic period film based on the true tale of a band of samurai swordsmen who avenged the death of their master in 18th century Japan. Reeves 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” films, with gritty battle scenes akin to those in films such as “Gladiator.”