Is 47 Ronin 2 With Keanu Reeves Still Happening? Actually, The Sequel Was Already Released
Keanu Reeves has been at the forefront of some of cinema's most important franchises, including "The Matrix" and "John Wick." Even one of his biggest bombs has, against all odds, also become a franchise. Reeves starred in Universal's tremendously expensive blockbuster "47 Ronin" back in 2013. It was a major flop at the time and actually hurt the actor's career a bit. But nearly a full decade later, everything came full circle, and a sequel to that flop was released. Yes, was! As in, it already came out ... last year.
"Blade of the 47 Ronin" is a sequel to the movie in question, and debuted in 2022. One would be forgiven for not realizing it, as it wasn't quite as big as the original, to put it mildly. Unfortunately, Reeves didn't return for the follow-up, but for those who enjoyed that film, there is a sequel out there you can watch right now. So, who does star in the "47 Ronin" sequel? Why did it take so long for one to happen in the first place? What's the movie about? We're going to go over all of that and more. Let's get into it.
Why did it take so long for the 47 Ronin sequel to happen?
"47 Ronin" has found some love over the years, but it was not, by any measure, a hit during its original run. Not only was the movie largely dismissed by critics, but it tanked at the box office. Against a massive budget said to be as much as $225 million, the film topped out at just $151 million worldwide. And that budget also doesn't account for marketing. At the time, it was reported that Universal lost as much as $175 million on the film. It was nothing shy of a disaster out the gate.
Over the years, the film has found an audience on streaming and cable, and Universal has made some of that money back. That said, there's no chance at all other revenue streams have generated enough to make the original a hit. It's easy to see why the studio wasn't rushing to give the green light to a sequel. But in 2022, the studio cracked the code and figured out a way to make it work financially. The result? The direct-to-video "Blade of the 47 Ronin."
Here's what happens in Blade of the 47 Ronin
Directed by Ron Yuan, Universal released "Blade of the 47 Ronin" as a lower budgeted DTV sequel to the original film in 2022. Production took place in late 2021, with Netflix agreeing to distribute the film in the U.S. The sequel is set a full 300 years after the events of the original film, so, unlike the original, it takes place in the modern day, where samurai live in secret. The full synopsis for the film reads as follows:
An evil witch named Yurei, whose ancestor was slain by one of the 47 Ronin, has surfaced in modern-day Budapest determined to have his revenge. Yurei seeks to completely destroy all samurai by uniting both halves of the powerful Tengu Sword. A prophecy claims only a descendant of the original 47 Ronin can wield the blade and defeat this great evil. The samurai are flabbergasted when Lord Shinshiro identifies a streetwise New Yorker named Luna as the one who was prophesied. He charges ronin Reo and apprentice Onami with training Luna to be the hero they desperately need. With most of the samurai lords dead or missing, and a traitor hiding among them, the remaining warriors must summon all of their skills as martial arts masters to combat Yurei's mystic magic and fulfill their destiny.
Who are the stars of Blade of the 47 Ronin?
Anna Akana ("Let It Snow," "Jupiter's Legacy") and Mark Dacascos ("John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum") lead the cast. The ensemble also includes Teresa Ting ("Orange is the New Black"), Mike Moh ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"), Dustin Nguyen ("Warrior"), and Chris Pang ("Joy Ride").
The thing that will probably stand out to those who enjoyed the first film is that, no, none of those stars have any real connection to this follow-up. This is an entirely new cast and new characters. It's not just Keanu Reeves who didn't come along for the ride. Universal was able to justify making this movie because it was made for a much lower price point than the original, and that meant abandoning the big-name cast that anchored the original. This happens from time to time these days; Universal did something similar with a surprise sequel to "R.I.P.D." The original may not have been a success, but there's enough of an audience to justify a follow-up at a certain price.
"Blade of the 47 Ronin" is now streaming on Netflix, but it's also available on VOD and Blu-ray.