Keanu Reeves' Biggest Movie Flop Got A Netflix Sequel 9 Years Later
Before he slaughtered goons in the "John Wick" franchises, Keanu Reeves hoped to obtain box office glory with 2013's "47 Ronin." The film follows Kai (Reeves), a loner samurai who intends to eradicate evil by joining a group of warriors known as the Rōnin in a mythological Japan filled with monsters. Despite a bold premise, the flick is surprisingly Reeve's biggest box office bomb, grossing $151 million worldwide. With a budget of $175 million, it was a certified failure for both Reeves and Universal Pictures. Despite this, "47 Ronin" received a standalone sequel titled "Blade of the 47 Ronin" on Netflix, of all places.
Released in 2022, nine years after "47 Ronin" graced multiplexes, "Blade of the 47 Ronin" is set in the modern day and focuses on the now cyberpunk-influenced samurai clan continuing their vow to rid the world of evil. A spiritual successor of sorts rather than a straight-up sequel, "Blade of the 47 Ronin" leans heavily into how samurais and warriors operate in our technologically advanced world.
The Netflix sequel notably lacks the production value and visual awe that served as a saving grace for the original. "A terrible but ultimately harmless film. If you treat it as the pilot episode for a CW show, you might get some enjoyment out of it but if you treat it like an actual movie, you'll be sorely disappointed," wrote Letterboxd reviewer Fu for Thought in a one-and-a-half-star review on the social networking site.
Why did 47 Ronin flop at the box office?
"47 Ronin" was a large gamble for Universal Pictures, who handed the $175 million flick to director Carl Rinsch for his directorial debut. Upon release, "47 Ronin" was criticized for its poor pacing and narrative. The flick has a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, standing out as one of the biggest movies that overpromised and underdelivered. General audiences were also bummed with the pic, giving it a mediocre B+ CinemaScore — a poor grade for a large-scale blockbuster. Despite tepid responses from viewers, Reeves' flop defied the odds and killed the charts when it debuted on Netflix, signaling that it's at least worth a watch for curiosity's sake.
Thanks to poor word of mouth and horrible reviews, "47 Ronin" didn't have the juice to command box office glory. It was released during the crowded Christmas weekend of 2013, facing stiff competition from "Frozen," "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug," and "The Wolf of Wall Street." It made a weak $9 million during its debut weekend and quietly disappeared from multiplexes, grossing just $38 million in North America. The film only made $2.8 million in Japan — a less than enthusiastic response from the country the picture takes inspiration from.
With such lackluster receipts, it's surprising that Netflix and Universal Pictures decided to debut a sequel in the form of "Blade of the 47 Ronin." Then again, the Netflix sequel is largely divorced from the original and serves as a great way to capitalize on existing IP while tackling a new story.