Warning: major spoilers!

http://www.iesb.net/extensions/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7837:script-review-keanu-reeves-vehicle-47-ronin&catid=41:news&Itemid=71

...and I'm loling over how Keanu's character is now named Hiro.

From Twitter:

@prodweek Production Weekly
Carl Erik Rinsch to begin filming late-February on the epic period samurai film "47 Ronin", starring Keanu Reeves as the half-breed Hiro.

Sad Adrianna blissfully emerges from her sorrow over GUm, Psyched and INMIY, a renewed and ecstatic woman!

*Sad Adrianna blissfully emerges from her sorrow over GUm, Psyched and IYNM an ecstatic and renewed fan* :)

... so there have been some changes to the draft we have in the archive. we'll see how the final product turns out. Personally, I'm afraid it will be received with a lot of criticism- but so it goes.
On the other hand... filming in Hungary? that's, like, between 10 and 600 km from my hometown, depending on the chosen location in Hungary! argh, so close and yet so far away !
okay. I've got time till February to figure something out :D

*facepalm*

http://newyork.backpage.com/Auditions/get-cast-wit
h-keanu-reeves-in-47-ronin/17281432

http://newyork.backpage.com/Auditions/get-cast-wit
h-keanu-reeves-in-47-ronin/17281432

Expires on: 10/26/2010

An 18th century set action/drama centered on a band of samurai who set out to avenge the death of their master--starring Keanu Reeves. The most famous tale from Japanese lore sees the noble, kind, and beloved ruler of Ako province, LORD ASANO, forced to commit ritual suicide after his rival, LORD KIRA, frames him for attempted murder. Asano's loyal protectors are cast off as disgraced ronin (masterless samurai), but these 47 honorable men rise up a year later, led by steadfast OISHI and "half-breed" HIRO, to avenge their lord in spectacular fashion...
NOW CASTING THE FOLLOWING ROLES:

Female - All Ethnicities - 18 to 39
MIKA - 20s to early 30s. Lord Asano's daughter, a hauntingly beautiful princess, she shares many of her father's attributes: kindness, intelligence, and diplomacy. She's in love with Hiro, and has been from a young age when they were both children, but she's forced to marry Lord Kira after her father's tragic downfall. Having been given a year to mourn her father's death first, Mika is quietly rebellious, despondent and heartbroken, trapped in a golden cage and dreading her upcoming nuptials. Though she considers ending her life, a gift from Hiro breaks her from her doldrums and the lovers are briefly united...LEAD (1)

Male - All Ethnicities - 40 to 49
OISHI KURANOSUKE - In his 40s, he is Lord Asano's chief samurai and loyal, longtime friend. Oishi is an unsentimental but extremely honorable man who initially dismisses and resents the "half-breed", Hiro, but eventually comes to respect Hiro. After Lord Asano's cruel downfall, Oishi is thrown in a miserable dungeon but emerges a year later, intent on avenging his master's life by leading the 47 ronin -- including his teenage son, Chikara -- in a fight to the death against Kira...LEAD (3)

Male - All Ethnicities - 30 to 49
LORD KIRA YOSHINAKA - Early 30s to late 40s, fierce, powerful, and handsome, he seeks to overthrow his rival, Lord Asano, and claim Asano's fertile lands for himself. He's always flanked by his otherworldly, invincible bodyguard. Kira dabbles in supernatural spells and looks to his witch, a shape-shifter, for help in destroying his enemies and learning of the future. After framing Asano for murder, Kira successfully tricks the Shogun into naming him the new leader of Ako province. He also demands Mika's hand in marriage. His feelings for her are genuine and obsessive, and he fervently wishes she would return his love of her own free will...LEAD (6)

Male - All Ethnicities - 50 to 59
LORD ASANO - In his 50s, he is the wise, fair, and noble ruler of Ako province, a land rich in soil. He's beloved by his people and his devoted friend, Oishi, and he shows Hiro, the "half-breed," kindness that Hiro has never received elsewhere. His daughter Mika is the most important person in his life. While under the influence of a supernatural potion, he hallucinates and attacks Lord Kira. The Shogun gives him the opportunity to take his own life, and Asano goes bravely to his ritual suicide, in the hopes that his people's honor can be restored...LEAD (3)

Male - All Ethnicities - 16 to 24
CHIKARA - He is Oishi's brave, honorable and loyal son who admires Hiro and seeks his father's approval. Although Oishi is unimpressed with Chikara's unconventional fighting methods at first, father and son come to a mutual understanding and Chikara earns his father's respect while fighting as part of the 47 ronin...LEAD (10)

Male - All Ethnicities - 25 to 39
YASUNO - Mid 20s to 30s, a brash young samurai, falsely hailed as a hero in the fight against the Kirin beast, he loathes Hiro, the "half-breed" who really defeated the Kirin. Yasuno has a fiery temper and protests Hiro's inclusion in the 47 ronin. He's deeply upset over his friend Basho's death...SUPPORTING (79)

Female - All Ethnicities - 25 to 69
WITCH - Mid 20s to 60s, an old hag of a woman in her natural state. She is capable of shape shifting and she transforms into a beautiful young woman when she needs to seduce men, or a fox when she needs to be undercover. She works closely with Lord Kira to help him seize and maintain control of the Ako province...SUPPORTING

Male - All Ethnicities - 18 to 65
SHOGUN TOKUGAWA TSUNAYOSHI - Intimidating, grave, and powerful, he's the master of all Japan, the supreme, unquestioned leader whose word is law. Although he can be merciful, and doesn't punish people unnecessarily, he must maintain order among his clans...SUPPORTING (15)

Male - All Ethnicities - 18 to 40
BASHO - A huge, baby-faced samurai, he is friends with Yasuno and quite superstitious, particularly afraid of the forest where Hiro was raised. While banished, Basho finds works as a sumo wrestler, and as part of the 47 ronin, he comes to gruffly accept Hiro...SUPPORTING

Male - All Ethnicities - 35 to 49
KAPITAN - Mid 30s to late 40s, a barbaric DUTCHMAN, bearded, physically imposing and used to hard labor himself. He purchased Hiro from Kira's soldiers. Hiro's fighting skills are of great monetary value to Kapitan, so when Oishi asks to buy Hiro back he refuses to give him up. The deceitful Kapitan leads Oishi to believe he will accept this proposal but instead drugs him and enslaves him to fight...SUBMIT DUTCH, BRITISH, SCANDANAVIAN...1 speech & 9 lines, 3 scenes

Send headshot and resume to Contact Information:

DENISE CHAMIAN SUNSET GOWER STUDIOS 1438 N. GOWER STREET BUILDING 35, SUITE 270 HOLLYWOOD, CA 90028

For more casting calls follow http://twitter.com/egyptlawson

Salary/Wage: Depends on part
Status: Temp/Contract
• Location: Hollywood, CA

• Post ID: 17281432

wtf. I am vaguely angry about this. And I think a lot of Japanese people would be. I'm not Japanese, but still.

also, only two female characters on that list, and both need to be 'beautiful'. ah, Hollywood.

(Link doesn't work because the 'with' is broken into two lines')

Did you miss this?

I was more impressed that keanu is, at last, playing an asian part. WTG BRAH!

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I was more impressed that keanu is, at last, playing an asian part. WTG BRAH!

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Yeah, but that's the thing - there are already people upset about his casting, and while it's still okay given that the character is a new character created for the purpose of the script, and who is a 'half-breed', the other characters were originally Japanese. :\\

Too many Hollywood films have been appropriating other countries' films and recasting them with usually-Caucasian actors; given that this is an important part of Japanese history, it would have probably been best to keep the casting of the other actors to Japanese ones, or done a complete remake and changed the names instead of getting non-Japanese actors to play Japanese roles.

Hollywood is already full of roles for exclusively Caucasian actors, and so on the rare occasions when there's a big film like this with all-Asian characters, they had better get some or all of those jobs to Asian actors who are already limited in casting opportunities.

As it is, I'd really like to know how they plan to make this work, seeing as how (in the earlier draft at least), Keanu's character's half-breed racial status was a big point in the film - he couldn't be a samurai because he was racially impure. There's going to be a huge limit to suspension of disbelief if the other characters are also not Japanese.