By: John M Jerva

International action and martial arts star Ron Yuan (Paper Tigers) is hard at work directing the DTV sequel to 47 Ronin which starred Keanu Reeves. Universal 1440 Entertainment is set to distribute the movie which is currently being shot in Budapest.

We’ve got some exciting casting news for you all in that Mark Dacascos has joined the cast which also includes Anna Akana (Jupiter’s Legacy, Ant-Man), Teresa Ting (Orange Is the New Black), Mike Moh (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Dustin Nguyen (Little Fish), Yoshi Sudarso (Buffalo Boys), and Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians).

It is not known what role Dacascos will play on the movie to what extent his involvement in but just knowing that he will be involved elevates this project a great deal.

The sequel will be a little different than it’s predecessor in that it will take place 300 years after the original movie and be set “in the modern world where samurai clans have continued to exist in secrecy for centuries.” It’s also being described as a fantasy action-adventure which sounds like it will at least match the tone of the first movie.

“We are excited to continue the story of these ancient Japanese samurai warriors with this next chapter of the 47 Ronin film franchise set in modern times,” says Glenn Ross, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Universal 1440 Entertainment. “This all-new production features some of today’s most talented international action stars. We think fans worldwide will be thrilled with director Ron Yuan’s vision of diverse and inclusive samurai warriors.”

The script was penned by John Swetnam, Aimee Garcia and A.J. Mendez.

I got the opportunity to interview Ron Yuan this past spring for his movie Paper Tigers along with his co-stars Alain Uy and Mykel Shannon Jenkins for the Action Fix Podcast. Check out the video episode below!

The original 47 Ronin with Reeves was a massive box office bomb upon release. In the years to follow, it has gained a cult status following amongst genre fans and this sequel seems like it’ll switch up the initial premise so we will see how the finished product looks.

The sequel will hit sometime in 2022 and will debut on Home Video, Digital and VOD so keep a lookout for more to follow.

Source: coming soon.net