Lucas Shaw and Sharon Waxman of The Wrap are reporting that Universal has pulled the editing of 47 Ronin from director Carl Rinsch. Donna Langley, Universal co-chairwoman, has taken over the editing of the film.
The Wrap is reporting that the reshoots that were just completed in London captured key close-ups of Keanu Reeves and put him back in the center of the film’s major fight scene. Someone close to the production has said that the budget has surpassed $225 million while a Universal executive has said that the budget stayed within the confines of the original $175 million budget including the reshoots. Regardless, considering the budget and the millions that the studio will spend for marketing, 47 Ronin will need to gross more than a $500 million globally just to break even.
An insider with knowledge of the production has said that Carl Rinsch, who appeared both creative and competent during preproduction, lost control of the film during the principle photography necessitating the studio stepping in to oversee the film including the reshoots. For whatever reason, Keanu Reeves was marginalized in the initial scenes and totally left out of the final battle scene. Reshoots included the final battle scene with Keanu’s character fighting a supernatural creature, a love scene and a few other scenes bringing Keanu’s character into sharper focus.
The Director Guild of America specifies that if a director completes the physical production then he must also be involved in the reshoots. Upon completion of the reshoots, Universal pushed Rinsch aside.
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