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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face=Arial><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face=Arial><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue'>I was just reading about
this. Oh, the pain, the pain. So, will Sanada, Yakusho, or Watanabe (or all
three) be in this as well? Maybe the kid from “Heroes?”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
owner-<st1:PersonName w:st="on">KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</st1:PersonName>
[mailto:owner-<st1:PersonName w:st="on">KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</st1:PersonName>]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Mark Nornes<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, December 09, 2008
7:24 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> KineJapan<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Chushingura, <st1:place
w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place> Style</span></font><span lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>Variety</span></font></i><span
lang=EN-US> reports a <st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place> 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:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><font size=2 face=Arial><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Set in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> 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></font></span><span lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Markus<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<h1 style='margin:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:22.5pt'><b><font
size=5 color=black face=Georgia><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:19.5pt;
font-family:Georgia;color:black'>Keanu Reeves to lead '47 Ronin'<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<h2 style='margin:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=3 color="#9f1209"
face=Georgia><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;
color:#9F1209'><a
href="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('Chris%20Morgan');"
id="a_Chris Morgan" alt="Please click for options"
omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionDisambiguation&title=Chris%20Morgan&zodid=134')"><font
color="#666666"><span style='color:#666666;text-decoration:none'>Chris Morgan</span></font></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')"><font
color="#666666"><span style='color:#666666;text-decoration:none'>Universal</span></font></a> feature<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<div style='margin-top:3.75pt;margin-right:9.0pt;margin-bottom:9.0pt;
overflow-x: visible;overflow-y: visible' id=author>
<h3 style='margin:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:#F7F7F7'><span
class=articleby><b><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:7.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333;letter-spacing:.75pt;
font-weight:normal'>By </span></font></b></span><font size=1
color="#333333" face=Georgia><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:7.0pt;
font-family:Georgia;color:#333333;letter-spacing:.75pt;font-weight:normal'><a
href="http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=bio&peopleID=1231"><font
color="#666666"><span style='color:#666666;text-transform:uppercase;text-decoration:
none'>MICHAEL FLEMING</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></h3>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:12.75pt'><span class=apple-style-span><font
size=3 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'><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')"><font
color="#666666"><span style='color:#666666;text-decoration:none'>Keanu Reeves</span></font></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')"><font
color="#666666"><span style='color:#666666;text-decoration:none'>"47
Ronin,"</span></font></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 <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span></font><span
lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style='line-height:12.75pt'><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>....snip........</span></font><font
size=1><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:9.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='line-height:12.75pt'><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>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')"><font
color="#666666"><span style='color:#666666;text-decoration:none'>"The Day
the Earth Stood Still,"</span></font></a> which Fox bows Friday.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='line-height:12.75pt'><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>In
"47 Ronin," he will play one of the swordsmen; the group and their
master are revered in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>
for their revenge attack on Dec. 14, 1702.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='line-height:12.75pt'><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>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')"><font
color="#666666"><span style='color:#666666;text-decoration:none'>"The Lord
of the Rings"</span></font></a> pics, with gritty battle scenes akin
to those in films such as <a
href="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('%22Gladiator.%22');"
id="a_"Gladiator." alt="Please click for options"
omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionDisambiguation&title=%22Gladiator.%22&zodid=134')"><font
color="#666666"><span style='color:#666666;text-decoration:none'>"Gladiator."</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='line-height:12.75pt'><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='line-height:12.75pt'><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>....snip.....<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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