47 Ronin Sequel Moves Forward At Netflix, Lucifer Star To Co-Write

The original was one of the biggest bombs of 2013, but against all the odds 47 Ronin is getting a sequel. Last August, it was announced that Universal and Netflix have come together to produce a follow-up to the action fantasy epic that starred Keanu Reeves. Mulan actor Ron Yuan is attached to direct, and now it’s been revealed who’s penning the screenplay. As per Deadline, the script is to be written by Lucifer actress Aimee Garcia and bestselling author AJ Mendez.

Garcia is best known for playing Ella Lopez on the DC supernatural series, while Mendez has successfully transitioned from a career as a championship WWE wrestler to writer. The pair launched Scrappy Heart Productions last year and have so far collaborated on several comic book projects, including a run on DC’s Wonder Woman, starting this July. Here’s what the duo had to say in response to the news:

“AJ and I are excited to write a diverse and inclusive action film,” said Garcia in a statement. “Director Ron Yuan’s vision to blend martial arts, horror, cyber-punk and action was inspiring and we’d like to thank the team at 1440 for being so supportive.”

“As creators of color, we’re honored to be part of a modern, multicultural story with powerful female leads,” added Mendez.

The 2013 original, as directed by Carl Rinsch, was very loosely based on the real-life forty-seven ronin, a group of masterless samurai around in the 18th century, reimagining them as existing in a world of witches and monsters. Reeves was joined by the likes of Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi and Ko Shibasaki. It was a critical and commercial flop, failing to even make back its steep $225 million budget, but it seems that Netflix sees a future for the franchise on streaming.

They may be right, too, as it just so happens that 47 Ronin has been dominating the Netflix charts over the past month. Of course, that’s likely because of the presence of Reeves, and it doesn’t seem like The Matrix star is set to return for this sequel, as Mendez promises a female-led story. No casting announcements have been made as of yet but, as filming is due to begin very soon, expect further news to come.