Ken Watanabe and Tadanobu Asano May Join Keanu Reeves in 47 RONIN

By Devin Faraci | January 17, 2011

Twitch is reporting that the remake of 47 Ronin, which will star Keanu Reeves, may be getting some very cool Japanese casting. The rumors they hear have Ken Watanabe – you know who that is – joining the film. Also coming aboard, the whispers say, is Tadanobu Asano, who you might know best as Kakihara in Ichi the Killer or Hattori Gennosuke in Beat Takeshi’s Zatoichi. He’s actually been in a ton of great stuff, including Bright Future, Last Life in the Universe and Survive Style 5+, as well as appearing this summer in Thor as Hogun.
That’s three roles down – what about the other 44? The 47 Ronin is one of the most famous stories of Japanese history, and it’s been done on film a number of times. The story has 47 samurai becoming masterless when their daimyo is forced to commit seppuku after assaulting a government official. The 47, now ronin, waited two years to get the revenge their Bushido code demanded and which the Emperor forbid. They stormed the official’s keep and cut off his head. Turning themselves in they all committed seppuku. I don’t know that I believe an American take on this tale will end in the ritual suicide of all the main characters, honestly.
Carl Erik Rinsch, the guy who almost directed the Alien prequel, is set to direct. Keanu is set to be turning Japanese.
http://www.badassdigest.com/2011/01/17/ken-watanabe-and-tadanobu-asano-may-join-keanu-reeves-in-47-ronin