First Look at Keanu Reeves in 47 RONIN

This is our first look at Keanu Reeves in the new 3D martial arts film 47 Ronin, which being directed by commercial/short film director Carl Erik Rinish (The Gift). This is a movie I'm really excited about, Rinish looks like he will prove to be a very talented director, and I'm excited to see what he has planned. Reeves looks exactly how I imagined he would look in a movie like this. 

The movie was written by Chris Morgan (Wanted) and it also stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano and Rinko Kikuchi. I'm hoping this movie turns out to be a badass film. It's based on a great story so I don't see how it won't be.

Here's what Reeves had to say about the movie in a previous interview,

I call it a story of revenge and impossible love. The samurai become outcast and decide to enact revenge on the person who is responsible for the death of their lord. It's kind of a western and Kai is an outsider, a kind of half-breed with a mysterious past, who's in love with the princess and she's in love with me, but we can't be together.

Here's the synopsis for the film:

Kai (Reeves), an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada ), the leader of the 47 Ronin. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honor to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors. ... Inspired by styles as diverse as Miyazaki and Hokusai, Rinsch will bring to life the stunning landscapes and enormous battles that will display the timeless Ronin story to global audiences in a way that's never been seen before.

Here's another image from the set showing off some of the other costumes from the martial ats film:

Here's a rundown of the historical story:

The revenge of the forty-seven Ronin took place in Japan at the start of the eighteenth century. The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless and became ronin after their daimyo (feudal lord) was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzukeno suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for over a year to kill Kira. In turn, the ronin were themselves forced to commit seppuku, as they had known they would be, for committing the crime of murder. This true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good people should preserve in their daily lives.

The movie is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2012.