Ko Shibasaki celebrates Hollywood debut as Keanu Reeves’ lover in '47 Ronin'
Arts & Culture ( 38 )
LONDON —
Popular Japanese actress and singer Ko Shibasaki, 29, will make her Hollywood debut in Carl Erik Rinsch’s movie “47 Ronin,” starring Keanu Reeves.
The story, loosely based on actual events in 18th century Japan, revolves around a group of samurai who plot vengeance on the man who forced their master into suicide and turned them into ronin (literally “masterless samurai”). Reeves will play the role of Kai, a half-Japanese ronin seeking his revenge and falling in love with an older samurai’s daughter, Mika (Shibasaki).
Shibasaki was selected for Mika’s role in a secret audition in Tokyo last November. “Ko has a unique femininity, which we can’t find easily in the West. She has Audrey Hepburn’s elegance and there’s no doubt that she’ll become an internationally accredited superstar,” said director Rinsch at a press conference in London.
Shibasaki told reporters in English that she is “so excited” to be part of the movie. She also said that she hopes that the film will contribute to more awareness of Japanese history and traditions. Reeves, who will have a samurai hairstyle for his role, praised Shibasaki’s talent and physical beauty, calling her “mysterious and beautiful.”
Supporting roles will be played by prominent Japanese actors Hiroyuki Sanada (as the the leader of the warrior group 47 Ronin), Tadanobu Asano (from “Ichi the Killer” and “Mongol”) and Rinko Kikuchi (“Babel”).
Filming will start on March 14 in Hungary, London and Japan. It will be shot in 3D and released in November 2012.
Compiled from news reports
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38 Comments
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Papigiulio
ko shibasaki <3
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Laguna
Sounds like a winner! I hope it has a laugh track.
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Papigiulio
whoops the heart icon didnt work. Either way, keanu reeves ya lucky sob.
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asianTourist
Japanese actress Shibasaki and American actor Reeves will make people waiting to see their film in 2012.
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shirokuma2011
Hmmm... more awareness of Japanese history and traditions... hmmm... I know, let's cast Keanu Reeves!! And... hmmm... film it in Hungary!!!
For crying out loud, just shoot me now and get it over with.
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OssanAmerica
Great. Keanu Reeves as a samurai? Last I checked he had all the acting ability of a kitchen table.
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MrDog
Your daily pearls of wisdom amaze me.
Keanu Reeves. This is going to be a lolfest. If they wanted someone who can't act and has an expressionless, bored face, they should have got Kusanagi. At least he can speak Japanese.
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Zenny11
'The Last Samurai" Take 2 and repeat of failure. ;)
And in 3D to boot another 3 resaons not to see it.
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genji17
Lol hollywood always needs a white person to tell the story of the mythical land of Japan to the West...be it Tom Cruise in the Last Samurai, Sarah Michelle in the Grudge, heck Richard Gere had to take Hachiko out of Shibuya for the West to understand it...(and the dog had Ninja powers). Now we have NEO introducing us to one of the most traditional stories of Japanese history...Why is this?
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Zenny11
Forgot to add.
They must have changed the script since I last read a review. Keanu was not supposed to be one of the 47 but of mixed heritage and the character was not part of the original story(something like a priest, etc IIRC).
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jayjee
...Yeah..she's Japanese.
Hollywood films about Japan are made for/by people who know nothing about Japan. Casting Timothy Spall as a 20 year veteran Japanese translator in The Last Samurai, and then having him sputter out Japanese like he was reading from a Chinese phrasebook was a classic example. It's fame/marketing first, and artistic integrity second. The only reason this gal got the nod is probably to get the Japanese public to buy tickets.
47 ronin is a great story, but I fear the worst here.
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Ranger_Miffy
OK people, I still can't wait to see it. The 47 Ronin can always stand up to another retelling. Keanu Reeves doki doki for me, no apologizing going to happen!
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bicultural
zenny, I heard that Keanu is supposed to play the role of a biracial samurai. Seeing as he is part Chinese, I suppose it makes sense. Looking forward to Kou's performance. She's one of the better actors I've seen in Japan.
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Zenny11
bicultural.
Thx, been a while since I read it. Might watch it if it becomes available on cable, etc.
I have no problem with keanu playing a mixed heritage guy, like I said the review I read said that his character was written into the script(thus not one of the 47).
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jason6
"Ohh those inscrutable orientals!"
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toguro
I agree with genji17.
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jayjee
Haha. Yeah for 'mysterious' read 'couldn't understand what she was saying'.
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tokyochris
Are the real 47 ronin the guys buried/enshrined near Shinagawa?
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Zenny11
Tokyochris.
Yes, the blood soaked boards where they commited suicide are now part of the ceiling of a shrine too.
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WordStar
Not sure about the supposed historical accuracy of this thing. Samurai in those times spent as much time in bed with boys as they did women. Warlord Oda Nobunaga, for example, kept a pretty boy named Ranmaru who if living today would almost certainly have been recruited to perform for Johnny's Jimusho.
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pamelot
This is a Samurai movie, Samurai are Japanese, why would you need to even look "in the west"?
He bases his model of femininity, on a famous "western" woman, and yet goes on to say this can't be found "in the west". This is a lot like that ridiculous commercial for "Ascience" shampoo...
Inna byoodee.
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tokyochris
Yes, the blood soaked boards where they commited suicide are now part of the ceiling of a shrine too.
Thanks Zenny, I thought that was the place - visited there a few years ago when I first came to Japan and thought it was quite an interesting story. Hopefully the movie will do a good job.....but it's hard to be optimistic
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j4p4nFTW
Ko Shibasaki is great and I hope she makes it overseas.
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Badge213
Bill & Ted III?
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BurakuminDes
Keanu Reeves looks like a poodle these days.
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HM0707
Hiroyuki Sanada....NOICE!!!! :)
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sctaber56
One mustn't forget that Mr. Reeves played Siddhartha in Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci's "Little Buddha" in the early 1990s. And he is of both Chinese and Hawaiian ancestry, besides still being somewhat of a box office draw. Will the production be in English, Japanese, or both? He can't be any worse than Tom Cruise in "The Last Samurai," can he?
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eigokun
The sad thing is, if you put Kusanagi in Keanu's role then no one but you and I would go to the movie.
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genjuro
To make it interesting maybe they can write in a subplot where Ko's character is stuck in a runaway horse-drawn carriage which is rigged to blow up if it goes too slow. She meets Keanu's samurai when he tries to save her.
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asianTourist
Keanu Reeves, I need your job, Ko Shibasaki says so ... “so excited” to be part of the movie
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Ranger_Miffy
Hey everyone, the official resting place of the 47 or so samurai is in Senkokuji, just one stop or some 15 minutes from Shinagawa. If you can, I highly recommend it. If one day I see the haka of Keanu Reeves there, I shall be lighting my incense stick with tears in my eyes!
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seesaw2
She looks like a pregnant woman in this pic...
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asianTourist
You may know a reason, Ko Shibasaki means "Don't chase me, I've got my partner already..." I am standing next to her ... just kidding.
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Monkeyz
Are you saying that there are no Japanese people in western countries??
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haruka
ko has nice legs like mine. Sarge would like them.
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taj
Sanada and Asano! Count me in!
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sheilasspadger
try sengakuji. and if you want to see some of keanu's stinkiest roleplay try...actually they're all pretty similar
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Wolfpack
Not possible for Reeves to be as bad a Cruise; even if he played the role as a California surfer dude - playing the role of an 18th century Japanese samurai.
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