Movies that lose money tend not to get sequels, and as obvious as that sounds given the fiscal realities of the blockbuster business, it’s worth mentioning that one of the biggest bombs in the history of cinema somehow spawned a second chapter after Netflix decided that the world of 47 Ronin was worth revisiting.
The original had gained a place in infamy long before it had even released, with extensive reshoots pushing the budget up to a mammoth $225 million, while first-time director Carl Rinsch was essentially booted off the project and locked out of the editing room as a crack team tried desperately to polish what was shaping up to be a steaming cinematic turd.
Everyone predicted from a mile away that 47 Ronin would flop and flop hard, which means that it technically lived up to expectations after crashing and burning at the multiplex to end up an estimated $120 million in the red. Despite all that, Netflix decided the IP still had some value, and to the shock of many, Blade of the 47 Ronin fared pretty well when it hit streaming late last year.
For unknown reasons, though, it’s the original tale of how not to make a big budget epic that’s become appointment viewing for Starz subscribers, with FlixPatrol revealing the Keanu Reeves-led abomination to be one of the most-watched features on the platform. Will be get a threequel? Who knows, but it would take a herculean effort to be any worse than the film that started it all.