Carl Erik Rinsch to direct Keanu Reeves in his Samurai movie 47 RONIN!

If you're wondering this morning how commercials director Carl Erik Rinsch won the gig of directing Keanu Reeves in the big budget actioner 47 Ronin, one of the biggest tentpole potentials on Universal's slate right now, then allow me to explain. In Hollywood it's all about three things. Timing, Buzz & Who You Know. A combination of all three will usually win you the gig (Zack Snyder on Watchmen is a great example of this). Rinsch, you see... got some buzz across the internet a few months back when Ridley Scott handpicked him to resurrect the Alien franchise for 20th Century Fox (Rinsch is banging Scott's daugther Jordan - so that's the "who you know" part), but presumably inbetween games of Monopoly, Sir. Ridley got nostalgic and kicked Rinsch off the prequel film because he wanted to make it himself. This left Rinsch without a movie (timing) but with a career helping CV boost and a name recognition with internet fanboys that he was the man nearly entrusted with such a massive franchise movie at a major Hollywood studio (buzz). So I guess it's not difficult to imagine Universal execs sitting around thinking, "hey if they thought he was good enough, then why don't we give him the reigns to this one... maybe he's the next Neil Blomkamp" (a guy Peter Jackson championed for his commercials, got him attached to Halo before that was canned and he made the awesome District 9). There's nothing quite like studio's thinking their rival has a secret weapon, or one up on them.

Script has been tailored so the half-Asian Reeves, can star in the classic Japanese tale. 47 Ronin, announced last December, is a Chris Morgan (Wanted) written samurai/action vehicle, that re-tells true life tale of a band of samurai€™s who avenged the death of their master in 18th century Japan. It's a famous and often re-told story in Japan, kind of like our version of a Robin Hood. 47 Ronin is expected to be highly fantastical and stylised. You can see Rinsch's stunning visual eye in his past commercials.