<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><i>Variety</i> reports a Hollywood remake of Chushingura is in the works. Keanu Reeves will star, so a director should fall into place. It's to be written by Chris Morgan, whose credits include mostly genre films—including Sakura: Blue-eyed Samura, which is in post-production. Here's a synopsis from imdb:<div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; ">Set in Japan in 1866, centers on an American counsel who travels to the land of the rising sun where his daughter Sakura, which means cherry blossom, is learning the way of the samurai. </span><br><div><br></div><div>You can get a sense for where he's taking the story in the last graph below. And from the graph just above that, you can imagine the pitch, except the part where they project a new franchise of 46 sequels. </div><div><br></div><div>Markus</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia; line-height: 17px; "><h1 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal bold 26px/30px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Keanu Reeves to lead '47 Ronin'</h1><h2 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal bold 16px/normal Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(159, 18, 9); "><a id="a_Chris Morgan" alt="Please click for options" onclick="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('Chris Morgan');return false;" href="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('Chris%20Morgan');" omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionDisambiguation&title=Chris%20Morgan&zodid=134')" class="infusionLink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(134, 164, 203); ">Chris Morgan</a> to write <a href="http://www.variety.com/profiles/Company/main/2008125/Universal%20Pictures.html?dataSet=1" alt="Universal Pictures" omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionJS&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.variety.com%2Fprofiles%2FCompany%2Fmain%2F2008125%2FUniversal%2520Pictures.html%3FdataSet%3D1&gsid=4180139&entitytypeid=11&lid=2008125&title=Universal%20Pictures&zodid=134')" class="infusionLink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(134, 164, 203); ">Universal</a> feature</h2><div id="author" style="overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 6px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><h3 style="font-family: Georgia; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); letter-spacing: 1px; float: left; "><span class="articleBy">By </span><a href="http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=bio&peopleID=1231" style="text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">MICHAEL FLEMING</a></h3><div id="slideshow" style="overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; font: normal normal normal 9px/normal arial, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0px; float: right; "><span class="noindex"></span></div><div class="clear" style="clear: both; overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; "></div></div><div id="photos" style="overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; float: right; "><span class="noindex"></span></div><a href="http://www.variety.com/profiles/people/main/30803/Keanu%20Reeves.html?dataSet=1" alt="Keanu Reeves" omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionJS&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.variety.com%2Fprofiles%2Fpeople%2Fmain%2F30803%2FKeanu%2520Reeves.html%3FdataSet%3D1&gsid=4331631&entitytypeid=16&lid=30803&title=Keanu%20Reeves&zodid=134')" class="infusionLink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(134, 164, 203); ">Keanu Reeves</a> will star in <a href="http://www.variety.com/profiles/Film/main/130469/47%20Ronin.html?dataSet=1" alt="47 Ronin" omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionJS&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.variety.com%2Fprofiles%2FFilm%2Fmain%2F130469%2F47%2520Ronin.html%3FdataSet%3D1&gsid=4309215&entitytypeid=15&lid=130469&title=47%20Ronin&zodid=134')" class="infusionLink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(134, 164, 203); ">"47 Ronin,"</a> an epic period film for Universal Pictures based on the true tale of a band of samurai swordsmen who avenged the death of their master in 18th century Japan.<p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/17px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">....snip.......</p><p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/17px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Reeves stars in sci-fi remake <a href="http://www.variety.com/profiles/Film/main/171755/The%20Day%20the%20Earth%20Stood%20Still.html?dataSet=1" alt="The Day the Earth Stood Still" omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionJS&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.variety.com%2Fprofiles%2FFilm%2Fmain%2F171755%2FThe%2520Day%2520the%2520Earth%2520Stood%2520Still.html%3FdataSet%3D1&gsid=12624913&entitytypeid=15&lid=171755&title=The%20Day%20the%20Earth%20Stood%20Still&zodid=134')" class="infusionLink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(134, 164, 203); ">"The Day the Earth Stood Still,"</a> which Fox bows Friday.</p><p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/17px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">In "47 Ronin," he will play one of the swordsmen; the group and their master are revered in Japan for their revenge attack on Dec. 14, 1702.</p><p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/17px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">The film will tell a stylized version of the story, mixing fantasy elements of the sort seen in <a href="http://www.variety.com/profiles/Film/main/72238/The%20Lord%20of%20the%20Rings.html?dataSet=1" alt="The Lord of the Rings" omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionJS&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.variety.com%2Fprofiles%2FFilm%2Fmain%2F72238%2FThe%2520Lord%2520of%2520the%2520Rings.html%3FdataSet%3D1&gsid=4282434&entitytypeid=15&lid=72238&title=The%20Lord%20of%20the%20Rings&zodid=134')" class="infusionLink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(134, 164, 203); ">"The Lord of the Rings"</a> pics, with gritty battle scenes akin to those in films such as <a id="a_"Gladiator."" alt="Please click for options" onclick="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('"Gladiator."');return false;" href="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('%22Gladiator.%22');" omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionDisambiguation&title=%22Gladiator.%22&zodid=134')" class="infusionLink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(134, 164, 203); ">"Gladiator."</a></p><p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/17px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Morgan is writing the script and tailoring it so that Reeves -- who's half-Asian -- can fit the role as one of the swordsmen. The intention is to begin shooting next year after a director is hired.</p><p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/17px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Courier, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">....snip.....</p></span></div></div></body></html>