Yurusarezaru mono (Unforgiven in Japanese)

[Advocate]

So, Japan is remaking the western Unforgiven into a Samurai movie. More details forthcoming.

The relationship between samurai films and westerns goes back many years, thanks in large part to remakes of Akria Kurosawa films; his 1954 film Seven Samurai was remade as the western The Magnificent Seven in 1960, and the defining Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood movie A Fistful of Dollars remade Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, without explicit credit given to Kurosawa.


Now there is a major western-to-samurai remake in development, and it is even another one that involves a now-classic Clint Eastwood production. Warner Japan plans to remake Clint Eastwood’s 1992 opus Unforgiven as a samurai period drama, with Ken Watanabe in a version of the central role played by Eastwood.

Variety says that Lee Sang-il, director of the 2010 film Villain, will direct with the story set in 1880 and the location “changed to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, a time when Japanese settlers were displacing the native Ainu people.”


Watanabe will be a famed but retired swordsman living with his Ainu wife, who is lured back into action by the promise of a large bounty.


The film, called Yurusarezaru mono in Japan, will also feature Akira Emoto andKoichi Sata, and will shoot this fall in Hokkaido with a 2013 release planned. No word on a US release plan at this point.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

I'd watch it.

[Advocate]

From Variety:

TOKYO -- Warner Japan plans to remake the 1992 Clint Eastwood western "The Unforgiven" as a samurai period drama with Ken Watanabe playing the Eastwood role as a retired gunman taking one last job.Helmer will be Lee Sang-il, who made "Villain," which swept the actor awards at the 2011 Japan Academy Prize ceremony.

Akira Emoto and Koichi Sato are also starring in the pic, skedded for a fall 2013 bow in Japan under the title "Yurusarezaru mono" (Japanese for "Unforgiven").

As in the original, the story will be set in 1880, with the location changed to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, a time when Japanese settlers were displacing the native Ainu people.

Watanabe plays a samurai with a fearsome reputation as a swordsman who is living in retirement with his Ainu wife when poverty and a large bounty tempt him into action again.

Eastwood himself shot to stardom in a remake of a Japanese film: Sergio Leone's 1964 "A Fistful of Dollars," which was based on the 1961 Akira Kurosawa samurai swashbuckler, "Yojimbo."

Kurosawa's 1954 pic "Seven Samurai" was similarly remade as the 1960 John Sturges-helmed western, "The Magnificent Seven."

"Yurusarezaru mono" will shoot from September to November in Hokkaido.

[GohanX]

So, Japan is remaking the western Unforgiven into a Samurai movie.

I know this isn't the first time, but just hearing that is fucking weird.

[Dolemite]

I like the sound of this. Besides, don't we remake their movies all the time?

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

Let's see how far the remake train can go.
I want India to remake a film from Japan that was remade from the US that was remade from the UK that was remade from France.
What film has seen the most universal remakes?

[GohanX]

Come to think of it, I do like Samurai movies better than westerns.

[MechDeus]

I want India to remake a film from Japan that was remade from the US that was remade from the UK that was remade from France.

We'll start with The Triplets of Belleville, the UK will make it live-action, the US will update the cast with Disney teenagers and needless exposition, Japan will remove the singing and double the exposition, and then India will go Bollywood on it.

Let's make this happen.