anna akana

Now Streaming: BLADE OF THE 47 RONIN, Where Martial Arts And Magic Clash In Ron Yuan’s Pulpy Modern-Day Samurai Sequel

It was pretty much anyone’s guess nine years ago whether or not Carl Rinsch’s Lord Of The Rings-esque take on the classic tale of the 47 Ronin was going to get a sequel of any kind, as big as the aspirations (and budget) were for Universal’s 2013 box office flop. Suffice it to say that some jaws dropped when the trades reported such a follow-up to be directed by actor Ron Yuan who had long begun racking up his film credits behind the lens and with direct-to-disc/streaming releases becoming the more suitable business model for studios looking to capitalize on residual film fandom. Thus, we have Universal’s 1440 shingle joined by Netflix in rolling out Blade Of The 47 Ronin, the second chapter which is set 300 years after the events of the first film and is set in none other than Budapest, which is where Rinsch’s installment was partly […]

Ron Yuan’s BLADE OF THE 47 RONIN Slays In A Ten-Minute Preview Of The Upcoming Action Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

Actor and director Ron Yuan pulled his latest major feat with a festive screening earlier this month at UTA in California for Blade Of The 47 Ronin. The campaign has already rolled out an official promo and character image gallery which you can view here and here courtesy of leading lady Anna Akana who stars in the modernized futuristic sequel to the Keanu Reeves-led 2013 Universal Pictures release. An evil witch named Yurei, whose ancestor was slain by one of the 47 Ronin, has surfaced in modern-day Budapest determined to have his revenge. Yurei seeks to completely destroy all samurai by uniting both halves of the powerful Tengu Sword. A prophecy claims only a descendant of the original 47 Ronin can wield the blade and defeat this great evil. The samurai are shocked when Lord Shinshiro identifies a streetwise New Yorker named Luna as the one who was prophesied. He […]

BLADE OF THE 47 RONIN Unsheathes A Dystopian Female Samurai Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

A new Friday report by Variety‘s Patrick Frater confirms the completion Blade Of The 47 Ronin, the sequel to the original Keanu Reeves-led 2013 Universal Pictures release. Actor and filmmaker Ron Yuan (Step Up China) directs for a second venture with Tim Kwok producing, and a script by John Swetnam, Lucifer actress Aimee Garcia, and A.J. Mendez. The film, which wrapped in Hungary this week, hails from Universal’s 1440 Productions shingle. Actress Anna Akana (Jupiter’s Legacy) stars alongside U.S. martial artist Teresa Ting and Mike Moh (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), and Warrior actor Dustin Nguyen, along with Chris Pang, Japanese actor and model Fukuyama Chikako, action star Mark Dacascos, Luna Fujimoto, Akira Koieyama and Nino Furuhata. As Frater notes, Blade Of The 47 Ronin is set in Budapest, 300 years following the events of the first film. It takes a more subversive turn as it brings a more […]

THE HIT LIST: November 7, 2016

Lee B. Golden III

Well, I can’t say much about my weekend. Saturday was a 19 hour day and so Doctor Strange had to be put on hold, and my energy level on Monday was about the same as your average everyday housecat. That said, I did get to enjoy a cool Sunday night out with someone who’s been doing stunts for some time now and you can read more about that by clicking here! On that note, The Hit List has arrived for this week and new stunt and action demo reels are here for your viewing pleasure with the first – a reel from an actress whose work I’ve been dying to share in a Hit List entry ever since I became friends with her on social media in 2014. Hailing all the way from London and fresh off of a stellar box office run thusfar in the U.K. and U.S. in […]