View source for 47 Ronin (2013 film)


{{Infobox film
| name           = 47 Ronin
| image          = 47Ronin2012Poster.jpg
| alt            = <!-- see WP:ALT -->
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Carl Rinsch]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Pamela Abdy]]
* Eric McLeod
}}
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Chris Morgan (filmmaker)|Chris Morgan]]
* [[Hossein Amini]]
}}
| story          = {{Plainlist|
* Chris Morgan
* [[Walter Hamada]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Keanu Reeves]]
* [[Hiroyuki Sanada]]
* [[Tadanobu Asano]]
* [[Rinko Kikuchi]]
* [[Ko Shibasaki]]
}}<!--- per poster --->
| music          = [[Ilan Eshkeri]]
| cinematography = [[John Mathieson (cinematographer)|John Mathieson]]
| editing        = [[Stuart Baird]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* H2F Entertainment
* Mid Atlantic Films
* [[Moving Picture Company]]
* [[DMG Entertainment]]
* Warrior Productions
* [[Scott Stuber|Stuber Productions]]
* [[Relativity Media]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|2013|12|06|Japan|2013|12|25|United States}}
| runtime        = 118 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English <br />Japanese
| budget         = $175–225 million<ref name=mojo>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=47ronin.htm |title=47 Ronin (2013) |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |date=February 26, 2014 |access-date=August 11, 2014 |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812015938/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=47ronin.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/battleship-universal-box-office-taylor-kitsch-327972 |title= 'Battleship' Fallout: Lessons From a Box Office Sinking (Analysis) |first= Kim |last= Masters |date= May 23, 2012 |work= The Hollywood Reporter |access-date= February 24, 2021 |archive-date= January 28, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130128120657/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/battleship-universal-box-office-taylor-kitsch-327972 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Chris |date=25 December 2013 |title=Troubled '47 Ronin' may be headed for a box office reckoning |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-47-ronin-troubles-20131226,0,3267393.story |access-date=9 April 2014 |archive-date=January 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113081742/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-47-ronin-troubles-20131226,0,3267393.story |url-status=live }}</ref>
| gross          = $151.8 million<ref name=mojo/>
}}
'''''47 Ronin''''' is a 2013 American [[Historical drama|historical]] [[fantasy film|fantasy]] [[action film]] directed by [[Carl Rinsch]] in his sole theatrical directorial effort. Written by [[Chris Morgan (filmmaker)|Chris Morgan]] and [[Hossein Amini]] from a story conceived by Morgan and [[Walter Hamada]], the film is a work of ''[[Chūshingura]]'' ("The Treasury of Loyal Retainers"), a fictionalized account of the [[forty-seven rōnin]], a real-life group of masterless [[samurai]] in [[Edo period|18th-century]] [[Japan]] who avenged the death of their [[daimyō]] [[Asano Naganori]] by battling his rival [[Kira Yoshinaka]]. Starring [[Keanu Reeves]] in the lead role along with [[Hiroyuki Sanada]], [[Tadanobu Asano]], [[Rinko Kikuchi]] and [[Ko Shibasaki]], the film bears little resemblance to its historical basis compared to previous adaptations, and instead serves as a stylized interpretation set "in a world of [[Witchcraft|witches]] and [[giant]]s."<ref name="love">{{cite news | last=Boucher | first=Geoff | url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/05/24/keanu-reeves-and-47-ronin-search-for-honor-revenge-and-impossible-love/ | title=Keanu Reeves and '47 Ronin' search for 'honor, revenge and impossible love' | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=May 24, 2011 | access-date=May 25, 2011 | archive-date=May 26, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526225922/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/05/24/keanu-reeves-and-47-ronin-search-for-honor-revenge-and-impossible-love/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

Development on the film began in 2008 with Rinsch, who had previously filmed "visual and stylish" [[Television advertisement|commercials]] for various companies, signing on to direct the following year. After five Japanese actors were cast alongside Reeves between March and April 2011, filming took place in [[Budapest]] the same month before moving to [[Shepperton Studios]] in England, while additional filming in Japan was planned. [[Pick-up (filmmaking)|Reshoots]] took place in [[London]] in August 2012.

''47 Ronin'' first premiered in Japan on December 6, 2013, before being released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 2013, by [[Universal Pictures]] in both [[3D film|3D]] and 2D formats. Upon release, ''47 Ronin'' was panned by critics<ref name="JapReaTim">{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2013/12/10/japan-unbowed-by-47-ronin/|title=Japan Unbowed by '47 Ronin'|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|first=Shawn|last=Schroter|date=December 10, 2013|access-date=August 4, 2017|archive-date=July 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724195742/https://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2013/12/10/japan-unbowed-by-47-ronin/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="RotTom">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/47_ronin_2013/ |title=47 Ronin (2013) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=May 19, 2021 |archive-date=June 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615173724/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/47_ronin_2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="MetCri">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/47-ronin/ |title=47 Ronin |work=Metacritic |access-date=May 19, 2021 |archive-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306082303/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/47-ronin |url-status=live }}</ref>  and grossed a total of $151.8 million against its production budget of $175–225 million, becoming a [[List of biggest box-office bombs|box-office bomb]] that left Universal in the red for 2013.<ref name="start">{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/47-ronin-box-office-bomb-1201012170 | title='47 Ronin': The Inside Story of Universal's Samurai Disaster | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=December 30, 2013 | access-date=February 28, 2014 | archive-date=March 6, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306121843/http://variety.com/2013/film/news/47-ronin-box-office-bomb-1201012170/ | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']] listed ''47 Ronin'' as one of "Hollywood's biggest box office bombs of 2013".<ref name="variety">{{cite news |last=Variety Staff |date=December 26, 2013 |title=Hollywood's Biggest Box Office Bombs of 2013 |url=https://variety.com/gallery/box-office-disappointments-of-2013/#!2/enders-game/ |newspaper=Variety |access-date=January 6, 2014 |archive-date=December 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000226/http://variety.com/gallery/box-office-disappointments-of-2013/#!2/enders-game/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

A [[Sequel|standalone sequel]], ''[[Blade of the 47 Ronin]]'', was released on October 25, 2022, on [[Netflix]].

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, the plot summary should be 400-700 words. -->

In [[Edo period|late-medieval]] [[Japan]], Kai is a teenage English-Japanese outcast found in the woods near [[Wakkanai]] and adopted by Lord [[Asano Naganori|Asano]], the benevolent ruler of the [[Akō Domain]]. Kai and Asano's daughter, Mika, fall in love despite the scorn her father's samurai hold for Kai's mixed ancestry. Lord [[Kira Yoshinaka|Kira]], the [[Shōgun]]'s master of ceremonies, seeks to take control of Akō with the help of Mizuki, a shapeshifting [[kitsune]]. She sends a [[Qilin|kirin]] to kill Asano and his men on a hunting trip, but Kai takes up a fallen sword and slays the monster. He sees a white fox with [[Heterochromia iridum|different-colored eyes]]. When the Shōgun [[Tokugawa Tsunayoshi]] visits Akō, Kai notices a concubine with the same multi-colored eyes and recognizes her as an enchantress. He tries to warn Asano's principal counselor, [[Ōishi Yoshio|Oishi]], about the witch in Kira's household but is dismissed.

For the entertainment of the Shōgun, Kira arranges a duel between his best warrior, a [[golem]], and Asano's chosen combatant, whom Mizuki incapacitates with magic just before the contest. Kai dons his armor to fight in his stead but is unmasked during the duel, and the Shōgun orders him to be severely beaten. That night, Mizuki bewitches Asano into believing Kira is raping Mika, causing him to attack the unarmed lord. Sentenced to death, Asano is compelled to perform ''[[seppuku]]'' to preserve his honor. The Shōgun gives Kira domain over Akō and decrees Mika must marry him but grants her one year of mourning before the wedding. The Shōgun brands Oishi and his men ''[[rōnin]]'', forbidding them from avenging Asano. Kira has Oishi imprisoned and Kai sold into slavery.

Nearly a year later, Oishi is released by his captors, who believe him now harmless. Having realized that Kira used sorcery to frame Asano, Oishi and his son Chikara reunite the scattered rōnin and rescue Kai from the fighting pits of the Dutch colony of [[Dejima]]. Kai leads them to the mystical [[Tengu]] Forest which he long ago fled to obtain the special blades of the Tengu. Kai warns Oishi not to draw his sword inside the Tengu temple as he goes deeper inside to face the Tengu Master who once trained him. Alone, Oishi sees an illusion of his men and son being slaughtered by the Tengu but resists the urge to draw his sword, while Kai bests his former master. Having proven themselves worthy, the rōnin receive their blades.

They plan to ambush Kira on his pilgrimage to a shrine, but the procession is a trap, and most of the rōnin are killed. Mistakenly believing they are all dead, Mizuki presents Kira with Oishi's sword and taunts Mika with their deaths. Half the remaining rōnin infiltrate Kira's castle disguised as a band of wedding performers, while the other half scale the castle walls and covertly attack the guards. Finally Oishi fights Kira while Kai and Mika face Mizuki as a dragon, when Kai must at last draw on the mystical powers of the Tengu to kill her. When Oishi emerges with Kira's severed head, Kira's retainers surrender. 

The rōnin and Kai surrender and are sentenced to death, having violated the Shōgun's prohibition on avenging Asano. However, the Shōgun declares that they followed the principles of ''[[bushido]]'', restoring their honor as samurai and allowing them to perform ''seppuku'' and receive the honor of burial with Asano. The Shōgun returns the domain of Akō to Mika and pardons Chikara so that he may preserve Oishi's bloodline and serve Akō. As Mika mourns Kai's death, she remembers that he will search through 1,000 worlds and 10,000 lifetimes until he finds her.

==Cast==
<!-- Cast as billed per [[WP:CASTLIST]] -->
<!-- Roles as listed in the Cast list in the film -->
<!-- Actors billed 1 per screen -->
{{div col}}
* [[Keanu Reeves]] as Kai, a half-Japanese, half-English outcast adopted by the household of Lord Asano, who joins the Rōnin.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news | url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=74822 | title=''47 Ronin'' Start of Principal Photography Announced | website=ComingSoon.net | date=March 1, 2011 | access-date=March 10, 2011 | archive-date=July 14, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714161050/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=74822 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The character was created for the film.<ref name="japanese" />
** Daniel Barber as teen Kai
* [[Hiroyuki Sanada]] as [[Ōishi Yoshio|Yoshio Oishi]], the leader of the Rōnin.<ref name="start"/>
* [[Tadanobu Asano]] as [[Kira Yoshinaka|Lord Yoshinaka Kira]], Lord Asano's rival [[daimyō]].<ref name="start" />
* [[Rinko Kikuchi]] as Mizuki the Witch, an [[Heterochromia iridum|odd-eyed]] sorceress who serves Lord Kira.<ref name="start" />
* [[Ko Shibasaki]] as Mika Asano, Lord Asano's daughter and Kai's love interest.<ref name="start" />
** Arisa Maekawa as teen Mika
* [[Min Tanaka]] as [[Asano Naganori|Lord Naganori Asano]], the former master of the Rōnin, and Mika's father.
* [[Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa]] as [[Tokugawa Tsunayoshi|Shōgun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa]]
<!-- Billed 2 per screen-->
* [[Jin Akanishi]] as Chikara Oishi, Oishi's son.<ref>{{cite news | last=Pang | first=Lauren | url=http://asiapacificarts.usc.edu/w_apa/showarticle.aspx?articleID=16644 | title=Jin Akanishi set to star in 47 Ronin | work=Asia Pacific Arts | publisher=[[University of Southern California]] | date=April 14, 2011 | access-date=May 16, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227081810/http://asiapacificarts.usc.edu/w_apa/showarticle.aspx?articleID=16644 | archive-date=December 27, 2013 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref>
* [[Masayoshi Haneda]] as Yasuno
<!-- Billed 3 per screen-->
* Hiroshi Sogabe as Hazama
* Takato Yonemoto as Basho
* Hiroshi Yamada as Hara
<!-- Billed 3 per screen-->
* [[Yorick van Wageningen]] as Kapitan
* [[Masayuki Deai]] as Isogai
* Shu Nakajima as Horibe
<!-- Billed 3 per screen-->
* [[Togo Igawa]] as [[Sōjōbō|Tengu Lord]]
* Natsuki Kunimoto as Riku
* [[Gedde Watanabe]] as Kabuki troupe leader
* [[Rick Genest]] as foreman
* Ron Bottitta as narrator
{{div col end}}

==Production==
===Development===
''47 Ronin'' was first announced in December 2008, with [[Keanu Reeves]] attached to star and [[Chris Morgan (filmmaker)|Chris Morgan]] writing the script, which appeared in the 2008 [[The Black List (survey)|Black List]] of best unproduced screenplays.<ref>{{cite web |last=Finke |first=Nikki |date=10 December 2008 |title=THE BLACK LIST 2008: Top Screenplays |url=https://deadline.com/2008/12/the-black-list-is-out-7744/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715182103/https://deadline.com/2008/12/the-black-list-is-out-7744/ |archive-date=July 15, 2024 |access-date=22 September 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> According to ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', the film would "tell a stylized version of the story, mixing fantasy elements of the sort seen in ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' pics, with gritty battle scenes akin to those in films such as ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]].''" [[Universal Pictures]] planned to produce the film in 2009 after hiring a director,<ref>{{cite journal | last=Fleming | first=Michael | url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/keanu-reeves-to-lead-47-ronin-1117997052/ | title=Keanu Reeves to lead '47 Ronin' | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=December 8, 2008 | access-date=April 20, 2020 | archive-date=November 7, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107212324/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997052 | url-status=live }}</ref> and entered talks with [[Carl Rinsch]], who has previously filmed "visual and stylish" [[Television advertisement|commercials]] for various companies, to direct in November of that year.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Fleming | first=Michael | url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/universal-circles-rinsch-for-47-ronin-1118011491/ | title=Universal circles Rinsch for '47 Ronin' | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=November 17, 2009 | access-date=April 20, 2020 | archive-date=November 7, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107212347/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011491 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2010, the studio announced that the film would be produced and released in [[3D film|3D]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=72233 | title=''47 Ronin'' Goes 3D | publisher=[[ComingSoon.net]] | date=December 9, 2010 | access-date=February 18, 2011 | archive-date=September 3, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903090613/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=72233 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Between March<ref name="four">{{cite journal | last=Kroll | first=Justin | url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/four-japanese-actors-join-47-ronin-1118033107/ | title=Four Japanese actors join '47 Ronin' | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=March 1, 2011 | access-date=April 20, 2020 | archive-date=November 7, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107212434/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118033107 | url-status=live }}</ref> and April<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nipponcinema.com/blog/jin-akanishi-joins-cast-of-carl-erik-rinschs-47-ronin|title=Jin Akanishi joins cast of Carl Erik Rinsch's "47 Ronin"|date=January 11, 2021|access-date=April 14, 2012|archive-date=May 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516131534/http://www.nipponcinema.com/blog/jin-akanishi-joins-cast-of-carl-erik-rinschs-47-ronin|url-status=live}}</ref> 2011, five Japanese actors - [[Hiroyuki Sanada]], [[Tadanobu Asano]], [[Rinko Kikuchi]], [[Ko Shibasaki]] and [[Jin Akanishi]] - were cast alongside Reeves, as Universal wanted the film to be more authentic instead of casting actors more recognizable in the United States.<ref name="four"/> Universal provided Rinsch with a production budget of {{nowrap|$175 million}} for the film despite his inexperience with feature-length films, which was considered by ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' to be a "large-scale, downright risky" move on behalf of the studio.<ref name="Fernandez">{{cite news | last=Fernandez | first=Jay A. | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-studios-idUSTRE71K0EM20110221 | title=Studios handing big films to untested directors | publisher=[[Reuters]] | date=February 20, 2011 | access-date=July 5, 2021 | archive-date=July 28, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728181636/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-studios-idUSTRE71K0EM20110221 | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Filming===
[[Principal photography]] for the film began on {{nowrap|March 14}}, 2011 in [[Budapest]].<ref name="Fernandez"/> Origo Film Group contributed to the film. Production moved to [[Shepperton Studios]] in the United Kingdom while additional filming in Japan was planned.<ref name="japanese">{{cite journal | last=Blair | first=Gavin J. | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/japanese-cast-announced-keanu-reeves-163291 | title=Japanese Cast Announced for Keanu Reeves' '47 Ronin' | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date=March 2, 2011 | access-date=April 20, 2020 | archive-date=July 25, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725053650/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/japanese-cast-announced-keanu-reeves-163291 | url-status=live }}</ref> Reeves revealed that various scenes were first filmed in the Japanese language to familiarize the cast, and were then filmed again in English.<ref name="love" /> The film featured a total of 998 costumes and 400 suits of armour designed by British costume designer [[Penny Rose]], who stated that "We decided to base it on the culture and what the shapes should be—i.e., everyone's in a [[kimono]]—but we've thrown a kind of fashion twist at it. And we've made it full of color, which is quite unusual for me."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://collider.com/penny-rose-47-ronin-interview/ |title=Costume designer Penny Rose talks designing samurai, working with CGI characters, and more on the set of 47 RONIN |first=Steve |last=Weintraub |work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |date=4 November 2013 |access-date=27 March 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author=Staff | url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/costume-designers-1118040494/ | title=Costume Designers: Below-the-Line Impact Report 2011 | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=July 28, 2011 | access-date=April 20, 2020 | archive-date=November 8, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108234618/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118040494 | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Pick-up (filmmaking)|Reshoots]] were done in [[London]] in late August 2012, which were delayed by the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] and the filming of Reeves' directorial debut, ''[[Man of Tai Chi]]''. Universal pulled Rinsch from the project during the editing stages in late 2012, with Universal chairwoman [[Donna Langley]] taking over the editing process.<ref name="Edit" /> In addition, the studio added a love scene, extra [[close-up]]s and individual lines of dialogue to try and boost Reeves' presence in the film, which "significantly added" to the film's budget.<ref name="Edit">{{cite news | url=https://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/universal-pulls-47-ronin-director-budget-swells-225m-exclusive-57111 | title=Universal Takes Over Editing '47 Ronin' As Director Carl Erik Rinsch Removed; Studio Adds Love Scene, Dialogue & More | website=The Wrap | date=September 19, 2012 | access-date=November 5, 2013 | archive-date=November 26, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126061332/http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/universal-pulls-47-ronin-director-budget-swells-225m-exclusive-57111 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Music==
'''''47 Ronin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''''' is a [[soundtrack album]] containing the [[film score]] composed by [[Ilan Eshkeri]], which was released on December 17, 2013, by [[Varèse Sarabande]].

;Soundtrack list
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* Oishi's Tale
* Kirin Hunt
* Resentment
* The Witch's Plan
* Ako
* Shogun
* Tournament
* Bewitched
* Assano Seppuku
* Dutch Island Fugue
* Reunited Ronin
* Tengu
* Shrine Ambush
* The Witch's Lie
* Kira's Wedding Quartet
* Palace Battle
* The Witch Dragon
* Return To Ako
* Shogun's Sentence
* Mika and Kai
* Seppuku
* 47 Ronin
{{div col end}}

==Release==
''47 Ronin'' was originally scheduled to be released on {{nowrap|November 21}}, 2012,<ref>{{cite journal | last=McClintock | first=Pamela | url=https://variety.com/2010/film/news/universal-set-2012-schedule-1118026624/ | title=Universal set 2012 schedule | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=October 29, 2010 | access-date=April 20, 2020 | archive-date=November 7, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107212411/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026624 | url-status=live }}</ref> but was delayed to {{nowrap|February 8}}, 2013 due to the need for work on the 3D effects.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/universal-pushes-47-ronin-keanu-reeves-316572 |title=Universal Pushes Back Keanu Reeves' '47 Ronin' |last1=Kit |first1=Borys |date=April 25, 2012 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725052056/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/universal-pushes-47-ronin-keanu-reeves-316572 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was moved once more to a final release date of December 25, 2013, due to the need for work on the reshoots and post-production.<ref name="cblend">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Keanu-47-Ronin-Pushed-Again-Christmas-2013-32490.html |title=Keanu's 47 Ronin Pushed Again, To Christmas 2013 |last1=Rich |first1=Katey |date=August 15, 2012 |publisher=Cinema Blend |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724222858/https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Keanu-47-Ronin-Pushed-Again-Christmas-2013-32490.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

An endorsement from the cast of ''[[Sengoku Basara]]'' was held until January 23, 2014, stating that Japanese fans who tweet with the [[hashtag]] #RONIN_BASARA could win a copy of ''[[Sengoku Basara 4]]'' for the [[PlayStation 3]] or a ''47 Ronin'' poster signed by the film's cast.<ref>{{cite web|title=Banana Tattoos and "Sengoku Basara" Couldn't Save "47 Ronin" In Japan|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2013/12/10/banana-tattoos-and-sengoku-basara-couldnt-save-47-ronin-in-japan|publisher=[[Crunchyroll]]|date=December 11, 2013|access-date=December 11, 2019|archive-date=August 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805212247/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2013/12/10/banana-tattoos-and-sengoku-basara-couldnt-save-47-ronin-in-japan|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Home media===
[[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment]] released ''47 Ronin'' on [[DVD]], [[Blu-ray]] and Blu-ray 3D on April 1, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.newdvdreleasedates.com/m1202/47-ronin-dvd-release-date |title=47 Ronin DVD Release Date {{!}} NewDVDReleaseDates.com<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=February 24, 2014 |archive-date=February 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228143134/http://www.newdvdreleasedates.com/m1202/47-ronin-dvd-release-date |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
''47 Ronin'' originally premiered in Japan on December 6, 2013, where it opened to 753 screens and grossed an estimated $1.3 million, opening in third place behind ''[[Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan: The Movie]]'' and [[The Tale of Princess Kaguya (film)|''Kaguya-hime no Monogatari'' (''The Tale of Princess Kaguya'')]]. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported that the Japanese debut was "troubling", considering the well-known local cast and the fact that the film is loosely based on a famous Japanese tale.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stewart |first=Andrew |title='47 Ronin' Tanks at Japanese Box Office; Is U.S. Doom Next? |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/47-ronin-poor-japanese-box-office-could-spell-doom-in-the-u-s-1200933773/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=December 8, 2013 |access-date=December 9, 2017 |archive-date=November 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117013919/http://variety.com/2013/film/news/47-ronin-poor-japanese-box-office-could-spell-doom-in-the-u-s-1200933773/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The evening tabloid newspaper ''[[Nikkan Gendai]]'' reported that its dismal performance were "unheard-of numbers" generated by the Japanese distaste for a Hollywood rendition of ''[[Chūshingura]]'', which bore little resemblance to the renowned historical epic.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://gendai.net/articles/view/geino/146654 | title=キアヌ主演「４７ＲＯＮＩＮ」 記録的大コケもプロは高評価 | publisher=日刊ゲンダイ | date=December 13, 2013 | access-date=January 17, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116215420/http://gendai.net/articles/view/geino/146654 | archive-date=January 16, 2014 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

In the United States, the film grossed $20.6 million in five days after its release on [[Christmas|Christmas Day]] 2013, opening in ninth place and facing heavy competition from ''[[Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen]], [[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]'', ''[[Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues]]'', ''[[The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 film)|The Wolf of Wall Street]]'', ''[[American Hustle]]'', ''[[Saving Mr. Banks]]'', ''[[The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013 film)|The Secret Life of Walter Mitty]]'' and ''[[The Hunger Games: Catching Fire]]''. In the United Kingdom, the film grossed $2.3 million upon debuting in fifth place.<ref>{{cite web |last=Subers |first=Ray |title=Weekend Report: 'Hobbit,' 'Frozen' Top 'Wolf,' 'Mitty' on Final Weekend of 2013 |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3767&p=.htm/ |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-date=June 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616103922/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3767&p=.htm/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was a [[box-office bomb]], unable to recover its $175 million production budget.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/12/28/keanu-reeves-47-ronin/4231795/ |title=Report: Flop '47 Ronin' to lose $175 million |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Bryan |last=Alexander |date=December 28, 2013 |access-date=August 23, 2017 |archive-date=August 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819113059/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/12/28/keanu-reeves-47-ronin/4231795/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-universals-47-ronin-667771 |title=Box Office: Universal's '47 Ronin' Likely to Result in $175 Million Loss |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |first=Pamela |last=McClintock |date=December 27, 2013 |access-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614080159/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-universals-47-ronin-667771 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Critical response===
''47 Ronin'' was panned by film critics, failing to impress Japanese audiences where studio expectations were high.<ref name="JapReaTim" /> On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a 16% approval rating based on 88 reviews, with an average score of 4.20/10. The critical consensus reads: "''47 Ronin'' is a surprisingly dull fantasy adventure, one that leaves its talented international cast stranded within one-dimensional roles."<ref name="RotTom" /> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 28 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.<ref name="MetCri" /> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web |date=26 December 2013 |author1=STEVEN ZEITCHIK |title='The Wolf of Wall Street:' Is it too polarizing for the mainstream? |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-wolf-of-wall-street-scorsese-sex-drugs-20131226-story.html |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |quote=falling far short of the B+ garnered by the other openers |access-date=December 5, 2021 |archive-date=December 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228033832/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-wolf-of-wall-street-scorsese-sex-drugs-20131226,0,2452467.story |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Busch">{{cite web |last1=Busch |first1=Anita |title=Christmas Box Office Update: Last Weekend Of 2013 Up 8.1% On More Movies In Marketplace, 'Hobbit,' 'Frozen,' Together Take 34% Out Of Weekend, 'Anchorman 2,' 'Hustle,' 'Wolf' Follow |url=https://deadline.com/2013/12/christmas-day-hobbit-vs-wolf-anchorman-2-mitty-anchorman-2-and-47-ronin-follow-656521/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=30 December 2013 |quote=47 Ronin (also B+) |access-date=December 5, 2021 |archive-date=December 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205230015/https://deadline.com/2013/12/christmas-day-hobbit-vs-wolf-anchorman-2-mitty-anchorman-2-and-47-ronin-follow-656521/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kirsten Acuña of ''[[Business Insider]]'' stated that the film flopped for three reasons: first, it opened in December when there is an oversaturation of films for the Christmas season; second, the film took "too long in the vault" after having undergone editing and lost momentum as a result; and third, audiences had not been drawn to Reeves as an actor since ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]'' (which was released ten years prior) and that he had not yet reestablished his stardom prior to making ''[[John Wick]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Why-Keanu-Reeves-47-Ronin-Was-A-Huge-5111839.php |title=Report: Why Keanu Reeves' '47 Ronin' Was A Huge Box-Office Bomb |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]/[[Business Insider]] |first=Kirsten |last=Acuna |date=January 3, 2014 |access-date=January 12, 2014 |archive-date=January 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112143753/http://www.seattlepi.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Why-Keanu-Reeves-47-Ronin-Was-A-Huge-5111839.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Accolades===
{{Anchor|Accolades|Awards|Awards and nominations}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Recipient 
! Result
! {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[40th Saturn Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/gravity-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-lead-saturn-awards-noms-1201120744/ |title="''Gravity'', ''The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'' Lead Saturn Awards Noms" |date=February 26, 2014 |access-date=December 9, 2017 |archive-date=March 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301223317/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/gravity-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-lead-saturn-awards-noms-1201120744/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|[[Saturn Award for Best Costume|Best Costume]]
|[[Penny Rose]]
|{{nominated}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johns|first=Nikara|date=2014-02-26|title='Gravity,' 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' Lead Saturn Awards Noms|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/gravity-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-lead-saturn-awards-noms-1201120744/|access-date=2021-10-01|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=March 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301223317/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/gravity-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-lead-saturn-awards-noms-1201120744/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Saturn Award Winners 2014|url=https://www.listchallenges.com/saturn-award-winners-2014|access-date=2021-10-01|website=List Challenges|archive-date=October 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001201208/https://www.listchallenges.com/saturn-award-winners-2014|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Saturn Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]]
|[[Jan Roelfs]]
|{{nominated}}
|-
|[[IGN Award]]s
|Best Fantasy Movie and Best 3D Movie
|''47 Ronin''
|{{nominated}}
|<ref>{{Citation|title=Best 3D Movie - IGN's Best of 2013 Wiki Guide - IGN|date=December 15, 2013 |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2013/Best_3D_Movie|language=en|access-date=2021-10-01|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019203527/https://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2013/Best_3D_Movie|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Golden Reel Award (Motion Picture Sound Editors)|Golden Reel Award]]
|Best Sound Editing - Music in a Feature Film
|Andrew Silver (supervising music editor), Kenneth Karman (music editor), Julie Pearce (music editor), and Peter Oso Snell (music editor)
|{{nominated}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bacardi|first=Francesca|date=2014-01-15|title=Sound Editors Announce 2013 Golden Reel Nominees|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sound-editors-announce-2013-golden-reel-nominees-1201059048/|access-date=2021-10-01|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=July 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725111554/https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sound-editors-announce-2013-golden-reel-nominees-1201059048/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Soundworks Collection|url=https://soundworkscollection.com/post/2013-mpse-golden-reel-award-winners|access-date=2021-10-01|website=soundworkscollection.com|archive-date=October 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001201208/https://soundworkscollection.com/post/2013-mpse-golden-reel-award-winners|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|}

== Sequel ==
{{main|Blade of the 47 Ronin}}

A stand-alone sequel, titled ''[[Blade of the 47 Ronin]]'', was released exclusively on [[Netflix]] on October 25, 2022.<ref name="Sequel announcement">{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/47-ronin-sequel-mulan-ron-yuan-director-1203010764/ |title='47 Ronin' Sequel Sets 'Mulan's Ron Yuan As Director |first=Dino-Ray |last=Ramos |date=August 12, 2020 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=August 13, 2020 |archive-date=August 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813023129/https://deadline.com/2020/08/47-ronin-sequel-mulan-ron-yuan-director-1203010764/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/47-ronin-sequel-anna-akana-mark-dacascos/|title='47 Ronin' Sequel, Starring Anna Akana and Mark Dacascos, Enters Production|website=Collider|date=2021-12-02|language=en|access-date=December 3, 2021|archive-date=December 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203035325/https://collider.com/47-ronin-sequel-anna-akana-mark-dacascos/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Sequel wrapped">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/asia/universal-blade-of-the-47-ronin-1235136733/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Universal's '47 Ronin' Gets a Facelift With Female-Skewing 'Blade' (Exclusive)|last=Frater|first=Patrick|date=December 17, 2021|accessdate=December 17, 2021|archive-date=December 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220094102/https://variety.com/2021/film/asia/universal-blade-of-the-47-ronin-1235136733/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://47ronin.jp/}} {{in lang|ja}}
* {{IMDb title|1335975|47 Ronin}}
* {{ISFDB title|id=1660068|title=47 Ronin}}
* {{TCMDb title|826292|47 Ronin}}
* {{mojo title|47ronin|47 Ronin}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|47_ronin_2013|47 Ronin}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=47 Ronin}}


{{Forty-seven Ronin}}
{{Hossein Amini}}

[[Category:2013 films]]
[[Category:2013 English-language films]]
[[Category:2010s Japanese-language films]]
[[Category:2013 3D films]]
[[Category:2013 action films]]
[[Category:2013 martial arts films]]
[[Category:2013 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2010s fantasy action films]]
[[Category:2010s historical action films]]
[[Category:2010s historical fantasy films]]
[[Category:2013 American films]]
[[Category:American 3D films]]
[[Category:American fantasy action films]]
[[Category:American alternate history films]]
[[Category:American historical action films]]
[[Category:American historical fantasy films]]
[[Category:American martial arts films]]
[[Category:American sword and sorcery films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Scott Stuber]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Chris Morgan]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Hossein Amini]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ilan Eshkeri]]
[[Category:Films about the Forty-seven Ronin]]
[[Category:Films about shapeshifting]]
[[Category:Films about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Films set in Japan]]
[[Category:Films set in the 18th century]]
[[Category:Films shot in Budapest]]
[[Category:Films shot in Japan]]
[[Category:Films shot in London]]
[[Category:Films shot at Shepperton Studios]]
[[Category:2010s samurai films]]
[[Category:Relativity Media films]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Japan in non-Japanese culture]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy action films]]
[[Category:English-language historical films]]
[[Category:Japanese-language American films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=47 Ronin (2013 film)|access_date=2026-02-24}}