tom cruise 47 ronin

Screen Rant

47 ronin true story: the real samurai explained.

The Keanu Reeves-led action fantasy drama 47 Ronin takes place in a crucial phase of Japanese history, but is it based on a true story?

Set in late-medieval Japan, the 2013 fantasy action drama 47 Ronin stars Keanu Reeves as Kai, the member of a real samurai group that continues to be immortalized in Japanese folklore. 47 Ronin revolves around the titular group of ronin (wandering samurai with no master) who set out to avenge the death of their master at the hands of a cruel shōgun (military ruler). This arduous quest also makes Kai and his fellow warriors cross paths with witches and a dragon. Despite its blend of history and fantasy, 47 Ronin bombed at the box office and earned mostly negative reviews from critics and audiences.

Despite its failed performance, 47 Ronin is still interesting for those who wish to know more about Japanese history. Its central story has been reinterpreted in several movies and shows, but 47 Ronin sets itself apart with higher stakes and mythological overtones. While Keanu Reeves’s half-Japanese half-English hero Kai is a fictional character, many other members of the 47 Ronin cast play real-life figures. Hiroyuki Sanada as the ronin leader Yoshio Oishi and Min Tanaka as their former master Lord Asano Naganori are a few such cases that make 47 Ronin somewhat based on a true story.

Who Were The Real 47 Ronin?

As 47 Ronin director Carl Rinsch revealed , the movie was always inspired by a real Japanese story. This is the tale of an actual group of 47 master-less samurai who once used to serve the daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori. But when the lord attacked the influential court official Yoshinaka Kira in a fit of rage, the dishonorable act compelled Naganori to perform a ritual known as seppuku where he took his own life. Left without a master, Naganori’s samurai devised an elaborate plan to avenge his death a year later. The 47 warriors achieved their goal by killing Kira. This act finally helped them achieve their master’s honor.

The chronology of these events, however, is not specified, and there are multiple sources to determine the exact year. To quote Rinsch, “ 47 Ronin is a historical event. It really actually happened, [in] 1702 or 1703, depending on which scholar you believe .” William E. Deal, in the nonfiction book Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan , adds that even though the attack against Kira was supposedly carried out on January 13, Japanese people commemorate the event every year on December 14. Rinsch also mentioned how December 14 “ is a big deal ” with the Japanese closing schools and banks and paying respect at the graves of the 47 ronin .

Did The Real 47 Ronin Kill Themselves?

At the end of the 47 Ronin movie, Kai and the rest of the samurai are sentenced to death for Kira’s murder, as they had been prohibited by a s hōgun to avenge their late master. However, it is decided that the warriors still followed the samurai moral code known as bushido . This allows them to die an honorable death as they all perform ritual suicide together. This is indeed the tragic fate that the real 47 ronin had to undergo after attaining their revenge. With public support in favor of the ronin , the Japanese authorities were forced to offer them an honorable death instead of punishing them like criminals.

This true story of the seppuku that the samurai were involved in became the perfect moral tale for the years to come. Symbolizing unwavering loyalty and honor that people should strive for, the popularity of the story kept on growing until the Meiji era of Japanese history (1868-1912). Even though the country was modernizing itself and undergoing radical cultural changes during this time, the story of the 47 ronin helped in retaining pride in national culture and identity. Commenting on the philosophical themes of their sacrifice, Carl Rinsch adds, “ It has real emotional resonance to that culture. We in the West know very little about it .”

Kai Is A Fictional Character

What some people might not know about Keanu Reeves is his mixed ethnicity. The Canadian actor’s father is of Hawaiian, Chinese, English, Irish, and Portuguese descent. Similarly, Reeves’s protagonist Kai in 47 Ronin is treated like an outcast among the Japanese for his mixed origins. This racial angle as well as the character of Kai himself were created solely for the film. In reality, there was no half-white samurai warrior involved in the group. As it is also obvious, the elements of witchcraft and dragon-like beasts are fictional plot points that are just meant to dramatize the original narrative.

The Real Characters In 47 Ronin

The movie that director Carl Rinsch describes as “ Kurosawa on meth ” is ultimately a work of alternate history with heavily fabricated details just like how the Meiji-era drama The Last Samurai changed its true story . It must still be noted that many other historical figures are accurately portrayed in 47 Ronin . What the movie doesn’t change is the inclusion of the group’s leader, Yoshio Oishi, and their dead leader, Asano Naganori, along with the shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. It was this shōgun who had branded the samurai as ronin and prohibited them from seeking revenge. And of course, the ronin ’s primary target, Yoshinaka Kira, also features significantly in 47 Ronin .

The 47 Ronin True Story Started A Genre Of Its Own

Despite its fantasy narrative, 47 Ronin isn’t the first fictionalized version of the original story; some of Japan’s best samurai movies have dramatized it in the past. In fact, the true story has achieved such a legendary status in the country that its fictional retellings in literature and popular culture are collectively labeled as Chūshingura (which literally translates to The Treasury of Loyal Retainers). The 1928 black-and-white Japanese classic Chūkon giretsu: Jitsuroku Chūshingura was the first movie to tell the story of the 47 ronin . This was followed by several other movies and TV shows. English adaptations include another movie starring Keanu Reeves: Last Knights .

For Carl Rinsch, his own 2013 movie is very much a work of Chūshingura as it reinterprets the historical event much like what other Japanese takes on the 47 ronin have done. “ Chūshingura is not just a historically accurate story. It's taking it and making it your own. There's the Hello Kitty Chūshingura, they've told the '47 Ronin' with all women ,” Rinsch said while also mentioning how Japanese directors have come up with prequels and sequels to the true story. While 47 Ronin failed to create an impact, the tale of those brave 47 warriors from 18th-century Japan continues to endure in the modern-day world.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

Spectacular goofiness should be expected of "47 Ronin," an American film loosely based on the true story of 47 real-life master-less samurai who avenged their disgraced master's death. As its ads promise, the film features a troll-looking dude with a mace, a giant in a samurai suit of armor, Keanu Reeves with a sword, a tattooed dude with two guns, a sexy lady who floats around in a sentient Snuggy/kimono, and a pissed-off fire-breathing dragon who kinda looks like "The Never-Ending Story"'s Falkor . But in spite of its enjoyable, easy-to-exploit aspects, "47 Ronin" is a big budget spectacle hamstrung by its need to be at once flippant and respectful of its honor-driven source material. 

In this version of the popular story, 47 samurai seek revenge after Lord Asano (Min Tanaka) is disgraced by a young Lord Akira ( Tadanobu Asano ). The insult in question is not insufficient tribute/bribery, as in other versions of the story. This time, Akira sets up Asano for accidentally disrespecting a fighting tournament's #1 rule: only samurai can participate. 

After Akira poisons Asano's fighter with magic, half-man/half-demon Kai (Reeves) tries to save Asano's face by fighting on his behalf. But Kai is only a "half-breed," as he's repeatedly called, and not a real samurai, and is inevitably caught. The Shogun—"the lord of all Japan," as he's described baldly in an especially tedious bit of exposition—is lenient, so Asano is sentenced to commit seppuku rather than hang "like a common criminal." 

So in this version of the tale, Asano's suicide is not a voluntary act, but a capricious punishment. The ronin's revenge is therefore only ostensibly about upholding the bushido code, as the Shogun says: it's really about giving as good as they've gotten. This isn't a major misinterpretation of the story, but it does suggest that the film's creators didn't know how to dramatize either the impersonal reasons for Asano's death or his samurai's subsequent actions. But what's really troubling about "47 Ronin" is its creators's refusal to let it all hang out. In theory, they've included a lot of fun, over-the-top fantasy elements.The film's plot is a sub-"Lord of the Rings" fantasy about a group of stout-hearted men whose bro-manity is tested by assorted monsters. You will see a witch ( Rinko Kikuchi ) with Medusa-like hair coyly seduce and try to force-feed (with her hair!) Mika (Ko Shibasaki), daughter of Asano and and lover of Kai. You will also see a baddie credited as "Lovecraftian samurai," and Reeves fighting back a blast of dragon-fire with an enchanted sword, and bird-men/monks attacking samurai in a forest temple. This sort of thing should be fun. Somehow it's not.

The good/loopy generic stuff is supposed to establish the film's serious, parable-like themes, but "47 Ronin"'s creators seem to take the film's self-denying message too much to heart. The result ends up pitting the forces of uptight righteousness against a bunch of almost-attractive baddies, an uneven fight that says a lot about this confused and dreary "47 Ronin." Whatever its flaws as an interpretation of a legend, this movie still could have rallied to be stupid and awesome, but the filmmakers seem afraid to try. The gonzo sword-and-sorcery elements that should be the film's saving grace are invested with about as much detail as the tragic, tight-sphinctered, duty-centric stuff. Elements that should be flamboyant and fantastic are drained of exuberance. The action scenes are unimaginatively choreographed and shot, excessively edited, and often out-of-focus, and the script's fantasy elements are lazily strung together.  You will see this film on an airplane, and it will put you to sleep.

Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in  The New York Times ,  Vanity Fair ,  The Village Voice,  and elsewhere.

Now playing

Late Night with the Devil

Matt zoller seitz.

Sheila O'Malley

Sasquatch Sunset

Monica castillo.

Knox Goes Away

Robert daniels.

Stress Positions

Peter sobczynski.

State of Consciousness

Film credits.

47 Ronin (2013)

Rated PG-13

119 minutes

Keanu Reeves as Kai

Hiroyuki Sanada as Kuranosuke Ôishi

Kou Shibasaki as Mika

Tadanobu Asano as Lord Kira

Rinko Kikuchi as Mizuki

Min Tanaka as Lord Asano

Jin Akanishi as Chikara

Masayoshi Haneda as Yasuno

Hiroshi Sogabe as Hazama

Takato Yonemoto as Basho

• Carl Rinsch
• Chris Morgan
• Hossein Amini

Latest blog posts

The 2024 Chicago Palestine Film Festival Highlights

Man on the Moon Is Still the Cure for the Biopic Blues

Part of the Solution: Matthew Modine on Acting, Empathy, and Hard Miles

The Imperiled Women of Alex Garland’s Films

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Abigail Link to Abigail
• Civil War Link to Civil War
• Arcadian Link to Arcadian

New TV Tonight

• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Conan O'Brien Must Go: Season 1
• Under the Bridge: Season 1
• The Spiderwick Chronicles: Season 1
• Our Living World: Season 1
• Orlando Bloom: To the Edge: Season 1
• The Circle: Season 6
• Dinner with the Parents: Season 1
• Jane: Season 2

Most Popular TV on RT

• Fallout: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• Ripley: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• Parasyte: The Grey: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Under the Bridge Link to Under the Bridge
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

All Guy Ritchie Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

All A24 Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

Best Moments From The Migration Movie

• Trending on RT
• Migration Best Moments
• TV Premiere Dates
• Play Movie Trivia
• Renewed & Cancelled TV

The Last Samurai

Where to watch.

Rent The Last Samurai on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

With high production values and thrilling battle scenes, The Last Samurai is a satisfying epic.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Edward Zwick

Capt. Nathan Algren

Ken Watanabe

Timothy Spall

Simon Graham

Billy Connolly

Zebulon Gant

Tony Goldwyn

Col. Bagley

Best Movies to Stream at Home

Movie news & guides, this movie is featured in the following articles., critics reviews.

Entertainment

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Statement
• Advertise With Us
• User Generated Content
• Contact Her
• Lovin Dublin

26th Dec 2013

REVIEW – 47 Ronin, How Hollywood Got It So Wrong… Again

Cast your mind back to 2003, a terrible, terrible Tom Cruise film entitled The Last Samurai which followed Cruise who played a military advisor that became so enamoured with the Samurai culture that he was hired to destroy, he downs weapons and joins them. Far too sentimental and entirely ridiculous, Cruise was well out of a depth in a culture that is constantly mined in Hollywood for both remakes and new film content.

This is the area 47 Ronin manages to find itself in, ignoring all the mistakes that the Last Samurai and remakes have managed to make and just exploiting Japanese culture for all its worth, the team behind the film have taken a very famous tale from Japan, which has been re-enacted in several plays and books, and managed to not only Americanise it, but also include some pretty bad acting.

It almost seems like Keanu Reeves has been missing from the big screen for quite a while, but the actor has actually been consistently working. However, this is probably the biggest project he has been working on to date, but let us stress, this is arguably worse than the Last Samurai and that, in itself, is an achievement.

47 Ronin tells the tale of the forty-seven former samurai who became ronin (samurai with no leader) following the ritual suicide of their master who assaulted a court official, the evil Kira. The Ronin are removed from their lands and warned to never come back and seek their revenge for what has past. However, two years later they are reformed by their new leader who wishes to avenge his master and his daughter.

Reeves plays Kai, a “half-breed” who was taken in by the Master when he was just a child. His mission in life was only to serve the Master who loved him and his daughter Mika, who he knows he can never be with. Kai joins the cause of the other Ronin and plans to take down Kira and the evil witch who guards him.

Are you still with us? We hope so because that outline above takes up the first hour of the film which drags along with very corny dialogue and a lot of confusion. A film which you would expect to have a lot of action has far more plot and story than it necessarily should have, which hugely works against it. There are no two ways about it, 47 Ronin is just boring.

Secondly, the acting across the board is atrocious. You can’t help but think that all of the cast are just speaking in English because this is an American production and to showcase Keanu Reeves. There is no doubt that if the production was filmed in Japanese with subtitles, it would certainly have worked a lot better in terms of authenticity and story telling. Reeves also doesn’t deliver whatsoever.

Overall, the film is just a mess. Avoid at all costs. There is nothing to see here.

RELATED ARTICLES

‘I kind of rate Millie Bobby Brown’s anonymous restaurant reviews, here’s why’

By Jody Coffey

Will the Brooklyn sequel be made into a movie? What we know so far

By Kat O'Connor

Fans are only now spotting this fun detail in ‘The Santa Clause’ almost 30 years later

millie bobby brown

book to screen

MORE FROM HER

Netflix has cancelled a hugely popular show

Blake Lively

The release date for the film adaptation of It Ends With Us has been pushed back

seth meyers

Irish viewers ‘annoyed’ by Seth Meyers’ joke about Simon Harris

Watch: Everyone is saying the same thing about the new Bridgerton trailer

Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones spin-off is ‘off the table’

Bridget Jones

One Day actor to star in fourth Bridget Jones movie

Am I the Asshole

‘Am I wrong for asking my siblings to move out of my house?’

By Anna Martin

H&M have a €30 dupe for €463 Coach bag

flight attendant

Flight attendant shares the ‘warning’ she gives if people won’t swap seats for a child

Man missing for 22 years was found in pond after his car was found on Google Maps

Vogue Williams opens up about trolls and the impact they have on her life

‘Summer is nearing and so is the pressure to lose weight’

Brown coined as trendsetting colour of 2024 in interior design

By Sophie Collins

Woman kicked out of gym for wearing a sports bra

‘My doctor told me to be quiet when I was giving birth’

taylor swift

Taylor Swift hints at failed wedding to Joe Alwyn in gut-wrenching new album

Change is brewing: Your daily cup of coffee is about to become more expensive

Check out the latest episode of our interview podcast, Unfiltered

Subscribe free:

47 Ronin (2013)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

• Latest News
• Release Schedule
• On This Day
• Daily Chart
• Weekend Chart
• Weekly Chart
• Annual Box Office
• Theatrical Market
• International Charts
• Chart Index
• 2024 Domestic
• 2024 Worldwide
• Weekly DVD Chart
• Weekly Blu-ray Chart
• Weekly Combined DVD+Blu-ray Chart
• DEG Watched at Home Top 20 Chart
• Netflix Daily Top 10
• 2023 DVD Chart
• 2023 Blu-ray Chart
• 2023 Combined Chart
• All-Time Blu-ray
• Distributors
• Budgets and Finances
• Movie Index
• Most Anticipated

Trending Movies

• Production Companies
• Production Countries
• Comparisons
• Report Builder
• Bankability
• People Index

Trending People

• Highest Grossing Stars of 2024
• Keyword Analysis
• Movie Comparison
• Research Services
• Data Services
• The Business Report
• Register/Login

Movie Comparison: 47 Ronin (2013) vs. The Last Samurai (2003)

• Daily Comparison
• Weekend Comparison
• Week Comparison

Quick Links

• DEG Watched at Home Top 20
• Weekly DVD+Blu-ray Chart
• Daily Box Office
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Box Office
• Box Office Records
• International Box Office
• People Records
• Genre Tracking
• Keyword Tracking
• Research Tools
• Bankability Index

Most Anticipated Movies

• The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
• Unsung Hero
• Janet Planet
• My Ex-Friend’s Wedding
• The Garfield Movie
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Inside Out 2
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
• Dune: Part Two
• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
• Kung Fu Panda 4
• Spy x Family Code: White
• Late Night with the Devil
• Chloë Grace Moretz
• M. Night Shyamalan
• Robert Downey, Jr.
• Guy Ritchie
• Zack Snyder
• Leonardo DiCaprio
• Samuel L. Jackson
• Arnold Schwarzene…

‘47 Ronin’: The Inside Story of Universal’s Samurai Disaster

How postproduction fights and bad buzz led to one of Hollywood's biggest flops of 2013

“ 47 Ronin ,” an old Japanese fable about a group of rogue samurai, ends in a horrible bloodbath. It’s a fitting conclusion for a big-budget adaptation that has left Universal deeply in the red, having suffered one of the costliest box office flops of 2013.

When executives at Universal huddled in 2008 to mull over the story, they envisioned “Lord of the Rings” set in the East circa the 1700s. An early treatment of the script was jam-packed with dazzling sword fights. And the material seemed like a potential home run for the U.S. and the lucrative Asian market (where the similarly themed Tom Cruise vehicle “The Last Samurai” had generated disproportionately large grosses in 2003). It was one of the first projects the studio greenlit under chair Adam Fogelson, who was pushed out of his perch in September .

Universal executives declined to be interviewed for the story.

Popular on Variety

The 3D martial arts project turned out to be a disappointment on many fronts. After months of bad buzz and two postponed release dates, “47 Ronin” finally bowed on Christmas in the U.S. and grossed only $20.6 million in its first five days at the domestic box office. Overseas, it’s fared even worse — with $2.8 million in its home turf of Japan since its Dec. 6 debut. The film’s gargantuan budget of $175 million (it cost even more before tax breaks) means it could lose the studio $120 to $150 million, especially once marketing is factored in.

Universal took the unusual step of announcing prior to the film’s domestic opening that it had already taken an unspecified writedown on the project . It was meant to signal to Comcast shareholders that executives knew they had baked a holiday turkey.

What went wrong?

Several sources close to the project say the ambitious undertaking never found its footing. The story kept changing through rewrites and post-production, as the studio and first-time director Carl Rinsch couldn’t find a balance between the classic Eastern tale and the more Western touches like a CGI dragon and the addition of an American star, Keanu Reeves , to a mostly Japanese cast.

The first draft of the script by Chris Morgan, who has written five of the seven “Fast and the Furious” movies, showed promise. It was slick enough to land on 2008’s Black List of best unproduced work. (A stage direction for a ninja attack read: “It’s like the ambush out of ‘Aliens,’” a clear influence.)

Universal suits were drawn to the idea of creating a unique fantasy world like that of “Avatar” or Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth. The Morgan script made notable additions to the traditional story, including mysterious ogres, doses of black magic and Reeves’ character, a half-breed warrior named Kai.

Fogelson, chairman Donna Langley and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, the studio’s co-president of production, who was a champion of the project since inception (and handled the day-to-day interference), interviewed Rinsch for the directing job. He won them over after he pitched impressively detailed storyboards of the historic samurai backdrops.

Even though he had never directed a feature before, he was a hot name based on his commercial work and a short film, “The Gift,” involving a frenzied robot chase. “He’s pretty amazing in a room,” says a source involved in the making of the film. “He’s very smart and passionate and can make you believe his ambition.”

Though unusual, assigning a novice director to a project so large and complicated is hardly unprecedented, with Disney’s “Tron: Legacy” (directed by Joseph Kosinski) and Universal’s own “Snow White and the Huntsman” (directed by Rupert Sanders) among recent examples.

But “Ronin’s”s tone grew more muddled as the project barreled forward. One point of conflict was that Rinsch kept wanting to make the film more Japanese, almost like an arthouse samurai movie. The studio, understandably, was nervous. The picture needed to play to mainstream audiences across the world in order to break even. It already had a cast made up entirely of Japanese actors like Hiroyuki Sanada, Ko Shibasaki and Tadanobu Asano. (At one point, Japanese-American actors had been considered.)

Reeves, who hasn’t opened a box office blockbuster since the 2008 remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” expressed interest in playing Kai, but he had his own concerns. He was worried that the character wouldn’t feel integrated into the main arc of the story.

Scribe Hossein Amini (“Drive,” “Snow White and the Huntsman”) was brought in for rewrites to broaden Reeves’ character and to simplify some of the dialogue. It turned out that the Japanese actors, who weren’t fluent in English, were having trouble delivering their lines and had to learn them phonetically.

To help them along, Rinsch had his actors say all of their lines in Japanese first and then in English right after — a puzzling decision in an age when such major hits as “District 9,” “Inglourious Basterds” and even the “Fast and the Furious” movies have elected to have their “foreign” characters speak in their native languages, with the dialogue then subtitled in English. And there were more drafts after that: The story added a wicked, shape-shifting sorceress (Rinko Kikuchi) right out of a horror movie.

The budget wasn’t so monstrous until Universal, influenced by Hollywood’s latest obsession, decided to shoot the film in 3D. That’s when “47 Ronin” became the Titanic of samurai movies. The creative team scouted Japan, New Zealand and Australia before deciding that none of those regions looked ancient enough. The film was eventually shot in England and Hungary, with a design team constructing 150,000 square feet of samurai villages for all those close-up 3D shots.

By all accounts, the post-production process was fraught with tension. When Universal executives saw an early cut in 2011, they had concerns about the story and started ordering changes. Another week of shooting was slated so that Reeves could be made more integral to the finale. A 2012 article from the Wrap reported Langley kicked Rinsch out of the editing room, but two highly placed sources deny that happened.

Another source with knowledge of the situation said that in post-production, Universal decided to take the film in a different direction. Rinsch then sought the help of the DGA to ensure his contractual rights were being honored.

A revolving door of crew members came and left. Multiple editors worked on the film, including Gore Verbinski’s longtime editor, Craig Wood. But legendary fix-it guy Stuart Baird (“Skyfall”) took the lone editing credit. To this day, members of the creative team have not seen a final cut of the film, including executive producer Scott Stuber. Variety has learned Stuber departed over creative differences after he helped land Reeves as the star and never made it to the production stages.

Universal hosted a world premiere of the film in Japan — it needed support from the region, where the cast was well recognized. But it never gained traction there, despite being released in an alternate edit specifically designed for Japanese audiences. Market research showed the key demographic of young men didn’t buy enough tickets.

U.S. critics were allowed to preview the film only a few days before it opened. The reviews, embargoed until 36 hours before the American release, were not kind. Universal didn’t spend lavishly on an advertising campaign. By then, the box office prospects for “47 Ronin” were grim.

“47 Ronin” is just one of several risky tentpoles (see “The Lone Ranger” and “R.I.P.D.”) that flopped in 2013. But if those expensive failures raise questions about the viability of mega-budget movies that aren’t sequels, don’t count them out yet. While some executives may now be warier of taking $175 million gambles on unproven talent and material, there’s also the fear that a studio may miss out on the next big thing. Which, to put things in samurai terms, is a fate worse than death.

More From Our Brands

Camila cabello joins lana del rey during weekend two of coachella, inside the hidden world of vip perks at america’s marquee sports arenas, buffalo bills hire allen & company to sell stake in team, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, rupaul’s drag race finale recap: did the right queen win season 16, verify it's you, please log in.

Loved 47 Ronin? Here Are 8 Movies You Will Also Like

’47 Ronin’ revolves around a band of these 47 samurai who take on the task of avenging their lord. When the beloved feudal lord of Ako, Lord Asano, is made to take his own life through treachery and his samurai branded as “ronin,” or masterless samurai, they band together to bring the culprits to justice. Leading them on this mission is Oishi, a man of honor and integrity, and Lord Asano’s right-hand man. But the samurai’s way is fraught with danger, and not just of the mortal kind — witchcraft and demonic beasts stand in front of them as well.

Aiding them to deal with these fantastical elements is Kai, a half-Japanese and half-English man who was taken in by Lord Asano as a boy after his fateful escape from the demons who raised him. Directed by Carl Rinsch, the 2013 film features a stellar cast that includes Keanu Reeves , Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, and Ko Shibasaki. ’47 Ronin’ is a fictionalized version of the historical account of the forty-seven ronin who avenged their master in Japanese history. If you enjoyed the film’s premise, then we have a few similar recommendations that we believe you might enjoy.

8. Dracula Untold (2014)

Directed by Gary Shore, ‘ Dracula Untold ‘ is a fictionalized account of Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia — who was also known as Vlad the Impaler — one of the most important rulers in Romanian history, much like ’47 Ronin.’ The story follows Vlad ( Luke Evans ), who is peacefully ruling Wallachia after being a royal ward of the Ottoman Empire and a fierce warrior in their army. But when the Ottomans come knocking on Wallachia’s doors again and demand 1000 boys as tribute, Vlad chooses to fight the Ottomans rather than give in to their demand. However, Wallachia’s army isn’t strong enough to repel the Ottomans, so Vlad seeks help from a monster who turns the Prince into something monstrous himself.

7. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)

One of the most important aspects that have been historically attributed to the samurai is the concept of honor. Losing face, either through their conduct or in battle, and dishonoring themselves and their master is perhaps the greatest crime that a samurai can commit. To atone for it, if allowed, many commit seppuku or hara-kiri, which is a ritualistic suicide. Seppuku and honor are intertwined in ’47 Ronin’ and are at the core of the storytelling, as they are in ‘Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai.’

Directed by Takashi Miike, the Japanese-language period drama film revolves around Tsukumo Hashiro, an aging samurai who requests to perform seppuku from the local lord’s retainer after his clan loses its status. While mulling over his request, the retainer recounts to Hashiro another samurai who came to request the same a year ago but was actually looking to defraud them of three Ryo. What follows is an epic tale about the true meaning of honor and the consequences of straying from the path of Bushido.

6. Blade of the Immortal (2017)

Magic is a big part of ’47 Ronin,’ with witchcraft being the cause of Lord Asano’s death. To fight this, Kai uses the magic that was taught to him by the Tengu, reclusive demonic monks who saved his life when he was a baby. Similar to that is the protagonist of ‘Blade of the Immortal,’ who after being saved by a passerby through “sacred bloodworms” becomes immortal. Directed by Takashi Miike, the film revolves around Manji (Takuya Kimura), a ronin, who after becoming immortal goes from one fight to the next.

But when a young girl asks him to be her bodyguard as she goes on a quest for revenge, Manji feels a stirring in his despondent soul that he hasn’t felt in over half a century. ‘Blade of the Immortal’ is based on the eponymous manga series by Hiroaki Samura.

5. Rurouni Kenshin (2012)

Based on the eponymous manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki, this Keishi Otomo directorial sees Himura Kenshin (Takeru Satoh), a wandering samurai take on a corrupt businessman who runs a drug business on the side. Though outnumbered, Kenshin overwhelms his opponents with superior skills but they keep coming back, mainly due to the fact that the swordsman leaves them alive as he’s vowed never to kill again. But when his companion’s life is in mortal danger, Kenshin becomes willing to break his vow.

Both Kenshin and Kai, from ’47 Ronin,’ are quite similar as both of them had vowed never to use their skills to take another’s life. But circumstances beyond their control force them to break this vow.

4. 13 Assassins (2010)

’13 Assassins’ follows closely behind ’47 Ronin’ with its depiction of a group of samurai (and one hunter) traveling across Japan on a suicide mission to avenge their master. Almost in the same vein, the film starts with a feudal lord committing seppuku in protest against the Shogun who refuses to take action against a corrupt and violent feudal lord. To seek justice for his master’s death, as well as to prevent civil war in Japan, Shimada Shinzaemon (Koji Yakusho) leads his men into battle. ’13 Assassins,’ directed by Takashi Miike, is a remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film of the same name.

3. The Last Samurai (2003)

Set in 1876, ‘ The Last Samurai ‘ follows the Westernization of Japan, with guns being added to the Emperor’s army. With each passing day, the samurai who are rooted deep in their traditional warfare practices, are close to becoming redundant unless they themselves adapt and join the Emperor’s army. To train this new army in the use of guns, US Army Captain Nathan Algren ( Tom Cruise ) is brought to Japan.

During one such training exercise, rebel samurai attack the army and capture Algren. But while living with the samurai clan, Algren is taught the ways of Bushido, which gives him a new perspective on the warriors and their way of life. Much like how Kai is an outcast for his English ancestry but plays a pivotal role in the events of the story in ’47 Ronin,’ so too does Algren in this Edward Zwick directorial.

2. The 47 Ronin (1941)

The original adaptation of the tale of the forty-seven ronin, ‘The 47 Ronin’ revolves around much the same storyline as ’47 Ronin’ — albeit without the fantasy elements. The film sees Oishi Kuranosuke (Chōjuro Kawarasaki) lead forty-six of his men to kill Lord Kira Yoshinaka (Kazutoyo Mimasu), a vile and corrupt man who insulted Lord Asano Naganori (Yoshizaburō Arashi), because of which the latter struck at him with a sword. For this transgression, Lord Asano is forced to commit seppuku, and his samurai are branded as ronin. ‘The 47 Ronin,’ directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, is a more historically accurate representation of the events that transpired in 1703.

1. Yojimbo (1961)

‘Yojimbo,’ directed by the legendary Akira Kurosawa , revolves around a ronin who takes on the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake (Toshirô Mifune) when he enters a new town. Two rival, but equally corrupt, businessmen are fighting with each other to have a monopoly on the gambling that is rampant in the town. Sanjuro offers his services as a bodyguard to both the businessmen and cleverly sows the seeds for an all-out gang war. Though not directly related to ’47 Ronin,’ the film once again reminds the audience of the true meaning of honor that the samurai cherished over all.

Read More: Best Martial Arts Movies

SPONSORED LINKS

• Movie Explainers
• TV Explainers
• About The Cinemaholic

Main Content

More Favorite Movies

• Movies & TV
• Featured Categories
• Mystery & Thrillers

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Return this item for free

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Image Unavailable

• Sorry, this item is not available in
• Image not available
• To view this video download Flash Player

Special, Special Edition

• Prime Video $3.89 — $4.99
• Blu-ray $17.99
• DVD from $1.36
• Multi-Format from $3.23
• VHS Tape $8.97

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together.

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly

From the manufacturer

An end-of-career masterpiece from John Frankenheimer, the legendary director of The Manchurian Candidate , Ronin is a gritty and gripping action caper with some of the most exhilarating car chases ever committed to celluloid

Product Description

Special Features: • Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative • Audio Commentary by Director John Frankenheimer • CLOSE-UP: Interview with Cinematographer Robert Fraisse • IN THE RONIN CUTTING ROOM with Editor Tony Gibbs • AN ACTOR’S PROCESS with Natascha McElhone • COMPOSING THE RONIN SCORE with Elia Cmiral • THE DRIVING OF RONIN with Stunt-Car Coordinator Jean-Claude Lagniez • THROUGH THE LENS with Cinematographer Robert Fraisse • THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL INTERVIEWS with Robert De Niro, Natascha McElhone and Jean Reno • RONIN – FILMING IN THE FAST LANE: Featurette • Alternate Ending • Theatrical Trailer • 5.1 Surround & Lossless 2.0 Stereo Audio • Dual-Layered BD50 Disc • Optional English Subtitles

Product details

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.39:1
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.73 x 5.43 x 0.51 inches; 5.92 ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ John Frankenheimer
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 2 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ June 20, 2023
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Studio ‏ : ‎ KL Studio Classics
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C34ZCVKH
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #661 in Mystery & Thrillers (Movies & TV)

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Reviews with images

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Competitions

47 ronin: style over substance.

By Nguyen Le · December 28, 2013

From paintings by Katsushika Hokusai, the numerous bunraku and kabuki plays and, heck, even making sushi, visual appeal is just an added ingredient to the experience in Japanese art. In the case of 47 Ronin , style is the main element employed to shroud its poor substance.

After their master is framed and forced to die, forty-seven samurai – among them a half-English, half-Japanese man – begin to seek vengeance in a land filled with magic and monsters. Leaving the foreign character and fantasy bits aside, the 47 Ronin tale is Japan’s most famous true story. Every year on December 14, the temple that house these warriors’ graves hold a ceremony to pay tribute to this fine example of honor and loyalty. Recreations of the tale – or c hūshingura – are plenty, spanning across many years and media. With such quality and longevity, a Hollywood twist on the material is to be expected, but it is astounding how subpar the final product is even with the big budget and ideas involved.

From the narrated opening moments, there’s clunkiness all over: inconsistent storytelling techniques, odd editing choices and a minor character receiving a leading man-style introduction. The latter detail is referring to Kai, a character so lifeless, whose accent is dropped as he grows up and so forcibly integrated that without him, or even Keanu Reeves, the movie would still function. While Kai and the actor who played him’s significance to the plot is questionable, there’s certainty about their significance to the film though. Being the only face the Western world recognizes after Speed and The Matrix , much like Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai , Reeves is there to explain Japanese concepts a Western audience might find uncommon, including ronin (a masterless samurai), seppuku (ritual suicide) and bushido (the values of a samurai). Unlike Nathan Algren though, Kai has no dimension, charisma and energy for viewers to invest or connect and as a result, the clarifying work comes off as lazy and flat.

The Japanese cast fortunately is better. It helps that most of them are Japanese cinema’s well-known faces, some on a national level – 2003 Japanese Academy Prize’s winner Min Tanaka (Lord Asano) and J-horror beauty Ko Shibasaki (Kai’s love interest Mika) – as well as international – there’s Rinko Kikuchi (The Witch) who turned in a wordless but Oscar-nominated performance in Babel , Hollywood star Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Shogun, or war commander, Tsunayoshi), one of Thor’s friends is played by Tadanobu Asano (the film’s villain Lord Kira) and LOST alumnus Hiroyuki Sanada. Even with little screen-time, the Japanese cast display engagement in their roles. The highlight goes to Sanada though. As leader of the 47, he brings a commanding presence, intensity and adequate emotional weight as Oishi, rendering him as the true shoulders that carry the film. What is supposed to be a role that allows Sanada to act more than his mostly-mute turn in The Last Samurai is ruined by Reeves. With the movie shifting its focus between Reeves’s Kai and Sanada’s Oishi, neither characters are memorable by the film’s end.

In fact, none of the characters are worth noting thanks to a script that is filled with expository moments, thin on elaborating its fantasy elements and too impatient to thoroughly explore its characters or locations. Strange how 47 Ronin has the ingredients that are apparent in the more average scripts penned by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini i.e. Tokyo Drift and Snow White and the Huntsman , respectively. What happened to the Morgan that conjure the entertaining action scenes in Fast Five and the Amini that demonstrate skillful characterization in Drive ? The editing does little to help both of them, hopping from one angle to another in meaningless fashion during combat sequences, resulting in the invention of two games called “blink and miss” and “spot that weird CGI”. The biggest editing oddity has to be the where Oishi rescues Kai from Dutch pirates in Dejima. Spending only mere minutes here, this part could have easily been cut out instead of causing bewilderment and confusion. While not as severe as the pirates, almost all of the fantasy elements are underdeveloped: the Witch and the giant samurai aren’t fleshed-out at all, ghosts in the bamboo forest are only glimpsed at, there are demons in monks’ clothing for Buddha knows why and Kai’s entire backstory are revealed through a villain’s monologue. Why have the fantasy elements, the very reason this film exists in the first place, when they are treated like afterthoughts?

Speaking of afterthoughts, that’s clearly not the approach of cinematographer John Mathieson ( Gladiator and X-Men First Class ), costume designer Penny Rose ( Pirates of the Caribbean series) and production designer Jan Roelfs ( Gattaca ). The work of these three complement each other beautifully on-screen, making each frame vibrant when they need to, dramatic if they must be, and depressing should the plot call for it. The trio deserves the highest credit.

Other good but not as noteworthy things include the now-and-then rousing score from Ilan Eshkeri ( Stardust ) and the visual effects. No stranger to CGI-filled creations, whenever he could director Carl Rinsch will let them fill the screen and viewers are only able to be in awe should the editor allow it. As a result, pivotal sequences are a let-down while moments such as when the Witch transforms into a formless kimono, a ghost of the bamboo forest manifests itself, and a close-up of a 6-eyed beast are main highlights. At only 30 seconds or a couple of minutes, Rinsch’s commercials are more delightful than his first 2-hour film.

47 Ronin fails to be a good movie out of a fascinating pitch. Even with intensely beautiful distractions, they are not effective enough to disguise the gigantic lumps. For better ways of knowing about the 47 Ronin , book a ticket to Japan on December 14 or, since it’s still the recession, search for copies of the acclaimed 1962 movie C hūshingura .

Download Free Trending Scripts

Breaking Bad

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Poor Things

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Oppenheimer

Stranger Things

Next related article.

August: Osage County – Talent Shines, But to What End?

Brock Wilbur · December 24, 2013

Recent Articles

A brief history of film noir.

Martin Keady · April 17, 2024

Moving Monologue: The Best Movie Monologues That Leave Audiences Speechless

Ken Miyamoto from ScreenCraft · April 15, 2024

What Is the Wilhelm Scream?

Ken Miyamoto from ScreenCraft · April 10, 2024

Launch Pad Prose Competition

Deadline: April 20th, 2024

Moonshot Pilot Accelerator

Deadline: April 21st, 2024

Deadline: May 20th, 2024

More Related Articles

Open Grave: Horror Thriller Falls a Few Steps Short

Nguyen Le · January 5, 2014

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones – Refreshing Franchise Spin-Off

Ural Garrett · January 4, 2014

Walking With Dinosaurs: Fails to Deliver on Series’ Wit and Humor

Monica Terada · December 22, 2013

© 2024 The Script Lab - An Industry Arts Company

Sign up for the TSL Newsletter

and get $50 off Final Draft 12

Stay up to date on the latest scripts & screenwriting articles.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Shogun Star Hiroyuki Sanada Has Stolen Scenes From Tom, Brad, and Keanu. Now It's His Turn to Rule

By Jake Kring-Schreifels

Hiroyuki Sanada’s first Hollywood moment came in the pouring rain. As a fearsome majordomo in Edward Zwick’s 2003 war epic The Last Samurai , he challenges Tom Cruise’s captive American soldier to a wooden-sword duel in front of gawking onlookers in a small Japanese village. With just a few violent swings, he knocks Cruise flat on his back, and then repeats the humiliation each time his stubborn counterpart refuses to concede. It might be the movie’s most stirring moment, a soaking-wet testament to Cruise’s character’s physical and spiritual resilience. But it’s Sanada, reflecting simultaneous shades of menace, respect, and disbelief, who leaves the lasting impression.

“That scene was hard—two days shooting, fighting in the mud,” Sanada tells GQ . “We spent a long time training together. It was an amazing experience.”

Over the course of a few minutes of screen time, Sanada provided American audiences with a glimpse at his diverse skill set—namely, turning generic warriors into gravitational forces capable of stealing scenes from the world’s biggest movie stars. Since then, he has been filmmakers’ go-to Japanese martial artist, slicing and dicing his way through hardcore action flicks, comic book spectacles, and prestige television. That’s included turns in 47 Ronin , Avengers: Endgame , and Westworld , and most recently Mortal Kombat, Bullet Train , and John Wick 4 , films in which he spars and teams up with the likes of Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt, and Hong Kong legend Donnie Yen.

Now, more than 20 years after his fearsome introduction, Sanada has achieved a personal milestone, earning his first producing credit—and a leading role—in FX’s new 10-part series Shogun , an ambitious historical drama based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel. Sharing the size, scope and palace intrigue of Game of Thrones , it tells the story of John Blackthorne, an English sailor who lands in feudal Japan at the beginning of the 17th century in search of riches before adopting the ways of the samurai. Though the book was first adapted in 1980 , creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo have supplemented this Shogun with more Japanese perspectives, specifically foregrounding Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada), who uses Blackthorne’s arrival to divide his political enemies and keep his family and allies alive.

The role isn’t exactly vintage action-star Sanada. As Toranaga, the 63-year-old actor mostly trades in his sword for back-room dealmaking, exhibiting his tactical expertise and vulnerabilities inside castle walls and on the island’s serene, rocky shores. “He’s mysterious and a strategist, powerful but also a human being, a family man showing his weakness—not the typical samurai ,” Sanada says in a deep, gravelly voice. In his eagerness to blend east and west and share a more authentic depiction of his home country and its customs, Sanada relished the opportunity to be a producer, a position he believes came at a perfect time in his career. “I thought it would be a good chance to make a cultural drama correctly,” he says. “I was so happy about that.”

Sanada (left) with Tom Cruise and Last Samurai director Ed Zwick in 2004.

Throughout his extensive Hollywood career, Sanada has often acted as an uncredited cultural consultant, offering his counsel on Japanese traditions and details—like the proper ways to wear a kimono, wield weapons, or walk with a specific gait. On various sets, however, he felt increasingly hesitant about addressing department heads with corrections or adjustments, because “they have pride, and it’s hard to say too much,” he says. On Shogun , Sanada never had to worry about hurt feelings. Over several years of pre-production, and then a 10-month shooting schedule in Vancouver, Sanada helped plot the script with Marks before hiring experienced Japanese crews and costuming specialists who had previously worked on period samurai movies and television. “The responsibilities were on my shoulders, but there wasn’t as much pressure,” he says. “Because I had a team.”

Contrary to other actors with multi-hyphenate roles, Sanada says his delegatory duties gave him more freedom as an actor. Without worrying about the accuracy of props and gestures in each scene, “I could just concentrate on my role,” he says. “The acting part was a reward.” It also helped that his daily chores around the set overlapped with Toranaga’s own role as a political and wartime strategist, overseeing his assistants and dispensing wisdom and information when necessary. “It was easy to jump in [to character] after preparing everything,” he says. “I never felt that kind of feeling before. Maybe producing and acting is a good balance for me.”

Sanada practically grew up on movie sets. At the age of 5, he started working as an actor. The noise erupting from various sound stages—directors yelling, set workers drilling, lights buzzing—”was my lullaby,” he says. “I didn’t want to do any other job. I never thought about any other job. It was very simple and natural to me.” After a brief hiatus to focus on his studies, he joined Sonny Chiba’s Japan Action Club, where he learned to master martial arts and began growing as a physically-gifted actor. Over the next three decades, he performed in Hong Kong cinema, worked alongside Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan, and went on to star in popular movies such as The Twilight Samurai and Ring . But Sanada never forgot his mentor Chiba’s advice. “He was always focused on the world market in the future,” Sanada says. “He inspired me a lot, and I started thinking about how I could work with other great actors or directors in the future.”

By Daniel Riley

By Mitch Moxley

His first international jump was to London, where Sanada landed a role in the 1998 Japanese stage production of “Hamlet.” After one of the shows, producer Nigel Hawthorne offered him a role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of “King Lear,” which surprised the actor. He’d never expected to take an English-speaking stage role until the end of his career—or at least until he was confidently fluent. “I was scared, I had no experience in front of an audience,” Sanada says. “But the producers told me, ‘You are an actor before you are Japanese.’” Their message set off “a gong in my head,” he says. He considered what his career 10 years later might look like if he refused the offer. It wasn’t long before he embarked on “the biggest challenge of my life.”

“That experience taught me a lot about how important mixing culture was and making something new that no one had ever seen,” Sanada adds. “I decided to take on international projects like that for the future.”

Sanada estimates that if he hadn’t participated in “King Lear,” he probably wouldn’t have received an audition for The Last Samurai. The movie, which earned $454 million at the global box office, is told from the perspective of a white man, but Sanada felt portraying the warrior Ujio was his only chance to add a layer of authenticity to a rare Hollywood samurai project. “Even if it's my first and last Hollywood movie, I needed to say something if I felt something was incorrect about our culture,” Sanada says. “That was my motivation at that time.” In his recently-published memoir , Zwick remembers the actor stepping up in a big way. “I came to count on Sanada’s vast experience in martial arts…to help me stage the many fighting scenes,” the director wrote.

Ultimately, the industry took notice. Ujio became Sanada’s blueprint for numerous future projects, intriguing filmmakers with his swordplay and ability to smuggle in an overpowering, stoic presence that few peers could replicate. To his credit, Sanada always approached each role with a discerning eye, making sure he was able to perform stunts that worked in tandem with his character and the drama. Even in brief appearances, like his role as hotel owner in John Wick 4 , Sanada makes it easy to believe he and Wick are old friends, despite it being his first appearance in the series. “The trick is to cast someone that has so much gravitas,” director Chad Stahelski told me last year. “In life, Hiroyuki is a professor of Japanese studies. He loves his culture, loves his job, and he’s the most honorable human you'll ever meet.”

In some senses, Shogun is a reminder that Sanada’s strengths as an actor don’t strictly rely on armor. During one sequence in the third episode, he and Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) establish a kinship when the British pilot teaches him how to dive off his ship into the bay, repeatedly plunging into the water until Toranaga relents and dives in after him. It’s a gesture that lifts the facade of his lordship and turns him into someone youthful again. “Luckily I only had to jump once,” Sanada says, recalling the cold temperatures during filming that day. “It's a very important moment, the beginning of their buddy era.” It’s also a window into Sanada’s intentions for the series, highlighting the multiplexity of regal Japanese characters. “That’s what I wanted to show,” he says. “The human being.”

As he considers more acting roles and upcoming projects, Sanada hopes to chase more producing opportunities “and introduce Japanese talent and stories to the world.” He also wants to keep being an inspiration for younger actors, channeling Chiba’s wisdom by looking towards the future and building more incentives abroad. “Little by little, I've broken the wall and opened the door,” Sanada reflects. After two decades of living in Los Angeles, he hopes his new leadership role and lifelong dedication to cultural accuracy won’t go unnoticed. “ Shogun is going to be a big step into the future, a big bridge between east and west,” Sanada says. “I want to make this bridge harder and stronger and smoother.”

20% off $250 spend w/ Wayfair coupon code

Military Members save 15% Off - Michaels coupon

Enjoy 30% Off w/ ASOS Promo Code

eBay coupon for +$5 Off sitewide

Enjoy Peacock Premium for Only $1.99/Month Instead of $5.99

$100 discount on your next Samsung purchase* in 2024