47 Ronin

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 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 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.

Kai and Asano’s daughter Mika fall in love, despite the scorn her father’s samurai hold for Kai’s mixed ancestry. Lord Kira, the Shōgun’s master of ceremonies, seeks to take Akō for himself with the help of Mizuki, a shapeshifting kitsune.

She sends a kirin to kill Asano and his men on a hunting trip, leading Kai to ride to their aid. Taking up a fallen sword, Kai slays the monster and spots Mizuki in the form of a white fox with different-colored eyes.

When the Shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi visits Akō, Kai notices Mizuki disguised as a concubine with the same multi-colored eyes. He tries to warn Asano’s principal counselor, Oishi, about the witch in Kira’s household, but is dismissed.

For the entertainment of the Shōgun, Kira arranges a duel between his best warrior, a golem, and Asano’s chosen combatant, whom Mizuki incapacitates with magic.

Kai secretly dons his armor to fight in his stead, but is unmasked during the duel, and the Shōgun orders him severely beaten. That night, Mizuki bewitches Asano into believing Kira is raping Mika, causing him to attack the unarmed lord.

Sentenced to death, Asano is compelled to perform seppuku to preserve his honor. The Shōgun gives Kira domain over Akō and Mika, granting her one year of mourning before she must marry Kira.

The Shōgun brands Oishi and his men rōnin, forbidding them from avenging Asano, and Kira has Oishi imprisoned and Kai sold into slavery. Nearly a year later, Oishi is released by his captors, believing him harmless.

Having realized that Kira used sorcery to frame Asano, Oishi and his son Chikara reunite the scattered rōnin, and rescue Kai from the fighting pits of the Dutch colony of Dejima.

Kai leads them to the mystical Tengu Forest, which he escaped as a child, to obtain the special blades of the Tengu. Warning Oishi never to draw his sword inside the Tengu temple, Kai faces the Tengu Master who once trained him.

Faced with an illusion of his men being slaughtered by the Tengu, Oishi resists the urge to draw his sword, while Kai bests his former master. Having proven themselves worthy, the rōnin receive their blades.

They plan to ambush Kira on his pilgrimage to a shrine to seek blessings for his wedding to Mika, but the procession is a trap and most of the rōnin are killed.

Believing them all dead, Mizuki presents Kira with Oishi’s sword, and taunts Mika with their deaths. Oishi and Kai, having survived the attack, lead half the remaining rōnin to infiltrate Kira’s castle, disguised as a band of wedding performers.

With Kira’s men distracted during the performance, the other rōnin scale the castle walls and attack the guards.

While Oishi fights Kira, Kai and Mika face Mizuki in the form of a dragon, and Kai finally draws on the mystical powers of the Tengu to kill her. When Oishi emerges with Kira’s severed head, Kira’s retainers surrender.

The rōnin and Kai surrender themselves to the authorities of the bakufu and are sentenced to death, having violated the Shōgun’s prohibition on avenging Asano.

However, the Shōgun declares that they followed the principles of bushido and restores their honor as samurai, allowing them to perform seppuku and receive the honor of burial with Asano.

The Shōgun returns domain of Akō to Mika, and pardons Chikara so that he may preserve Oishi’s bloodline and serve Akō.

In late-medieval Japan, Kai is a half-Japanese and half-English outcast who gets adopted by Lord Asano, the benevolent ruler of the Akō Domain.

Kai and Asano’s daughter Mika fall in love, despite the scorn her father’s samurai hold for Kai’s mixed ancestry. Lord Kira, the Shōgun’s master of ceremonies, seeks to take Akō for himself with the help of Mizuki, a shapeshifting kitsune.

She sends a kirin to kill Asano and his men on a hunting trip, leading Kai to ride to their aid. Taking up a fallen sword, Kai slays the monster and spots Mizuki in the form of a white fox with different-colored eyes.

When the Shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi visits Akō, Kai notices Mizuki disguised as a concubine with the same multi-colored eyes. He tries to warn Asano’s principal counselor, Oishi, about the witch in Kira’s household, but is dismissed.

For the entertainment of the Shōgun, Kira arranges a duel between his best warrior, a golem, and Asano’s chosen combatant, whom Mizuki incapacitates with magic.

Kai secretly dons his armor to fight in his stead, but is unmasked during the duel, and the Shōgun orders him severely beaten. That night, Mizuki bewitches Asano into believing Kira is raping Mika, causing him to attack the unarmed lord.

Sentenced to death, Asano is compelled to perform seppuku to preserve his honor. The Shōgun gives Kira domain over Akō and Mika, granting her one year of mourning before she must marry Kira.

The Shōgun brands Oishi and his men rōnin, forbidding them from avenging Asano, and Kira has Oishi imprisoned and Kai sold into slavery. Nearly a year later, Oishi is released by his captors, believing him harmless.

Having realized that Kira used sorcery to frame Asano, Oishi and his son Chikara reunite the scattered rōnin, and rescue Kai from the fighting pits of the Dutch colony of Dejima.

Kai leads them to the mystical Tengu Forest, which he escaped as a child, to obtain the special blades of the Tengu. Warning Oishi never to draw his sword inside the Tengu temple, Kai faces the Tengu Master who once trained him.

Faced with an illusion of his men being slaughtered by the Tengu, Oishi resists the urge to draw his sword, while Kai bests his former master. Having proven themselves worthy, the rōnin receive their blades.

They plan to ambush Kira on his pilgrimage to a shrine to seek blessings for his wedding to Mika, but the procession is a trap and most of the rōnin are killed.

Believing them all dead, Mizuki presents Kira with Oishi’s sword, and taunts Mika with their deaths. Oishi and Kai, having survived the attack, lead half the remaining rōnin to infiltrate Kira’s castle, disguised as a band of wedding performers.

With Kira’s men distracted during the performance, the other rōnin scale the castle walls and attack the guards.

While Oishi fights Kira, Kai and Mika face Mizuki in the form of a dragon, and Kai finally draws on the mystical powers of the Tengu to kill her. When Oishi emerges with Kira’s severed head, Kira’s retainers surrender.

The rōnin and Kai surrender themselves to the authorities of the bakufu and are sentenced to death, having violated the Shōgun’s prohibition on avenging Asano.

However, the Shōgun declares that they followed the principles of bushido and restores their honor as samurai, allowing them to perform seppuku and receive the honor of burial with Asano.

The Shōgun returns domain of Akō to Mika, and pardons Chikara so that he may preserve Oishi’s bloodline and serve Akō.