The Keanu Reeves-starring 47 Ronin, a martial-arts-based epic fantasy released in 2013, was for some, nothing to brag about. It went down as one of Reeves’ rare flops, and didn’t fare well with critics either. All that being said, over the years, Ronin has maintained and grown its fan base, and will now see its sequel produced as a series.

Shot near Budapest, Ronin’s huge production was accommodated by Origo Studios (along with UK’s Pinewood Studios) and their multiple state-of-the-art sound stages and back lots. The 150 million-plus dollar budget allowed for an entire feudal Japanese village to be built on the lot. Whatever snarky sites like Rotten Tomatoes criticised Ronin for, it wasn’t the spectacular sets and production. It more had to do with the difficulty many of the Japanese-speaking actors had with their lines; the convoluted plot, and struggle in making it a star vehicle for Reeves while respecting the ensemble cast that the material called for.

In the vein of Tom Cruise’s Last Samurai, 47 Ronin follows a troupe of Samurai as they venture through a magical, ancient world to avenge their master’s murder and free its people. Viewers complained it lost its thrust as an action film when it delved too deeply into drama, in the director’s attempt to emulate films like Gladiator.

Up-and-coming Director Ron Yuan has been brought on to helm the sequel. He stated this to to Deadline.com “I’m incredibly excited to be working with Universal and the producing team on this genre-blending, martial arts, action, horror and cyber-punk film. This will be a fun, intense, supercharged thrill ride for viewers globally.” Best known as an actor (Mulan) Yuan has directed well released several smaller-budget films like Unspoken: Diary of an Assassin. and Step Up China.

The as-of-yet untitled sequel differs from the original in a few ways. Foremost, it is set in the distant future, rather than the past. Secondly, filming took place in Bangkok, a city that also has its fair share of mystical charm. But this will only bolster 47 Ronin’s continued resurgence in the eyes of fans, and, who knows, possibly critics. You can look to a film like Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a good example of a hugely successful series based on a lackluster film.

Regardless, the success of Ronin in all its forms, reflects well on the quality of film production in Hungary. We wish all the Ronin good luck on their journey. Below find the trailer for the original 47 Ronin. Maligned, or misunderstood, you be the judge.

This post was based on reporting found on the site budapestreporter.com

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