Keanu On 47 Ronin

Written by: Stoic Taco
Thanks to Hero Complex, we have an update on 47 Ronin directly from the leading man himself, Keanu Reeves.

Playing Kai, the son of an English sailor and a Japanese woman, joins the 47 ronin, led by Hiroyuki Sanada, out to avenge the death of their master at the hands of an evil lord.
The locations used in the shooting of the film are worldwide as outlined by Mr Reeves, “We just wrapped. It was our last day here in Hungary, we’re in Budapest…We had about 34 shooting days here. Then off to England. It’s been amazing so far.”
In the article Mr Reeves goes on to state just how immensely important this story is to the Japanese people and that there is a responsibility to treat the story with care and reverence.


“It’s a story of honor, revenge and impossible love. It’s famous in Japan….Japanese kids grow up with this story told to them. They hear it from family and they learn it in school, it’s part of the culture… It’s been made into movies many times and on television. It’s like our westerns, the story keeps being told.  It’s been reworked in some ways but with great care and respect.”
In addition to the taking care with the storyline, working in various countries and weather conditions, Mr Reeves has faced another challenge with the need of learning to handle and use a traditional Japanese two-handed sword, “I haven’t done two-handed sword before so it was pretty cool to learn the basics and I’ve been building on that…There’s a definite style to this sword and it’s very fast I’m trying to keep up and learn as I go.”
Make sure you check out the full story at Hero Complex, it’s a great read.
The filming is currently taking place in London now, and is scheduled for release in November 2012.