According to director Carl Rinsch, Keanu Reeves’ upcoming film “47 Ronin” is based on a true Japanese story. Rinsch describes the film, which opens on December 25 in the US, as a story where people “share this journey to reclaim their land, their honor, their way,” and adds that “It was very special to me to be part of it.”

Here is the “47 Ronin” trailer:

Rinsch and Reeves were on hand in Tokyo Monday to promote the movie, which premieres in Japan on December 6th. Legions of fans greeted the star, who was said to have cracked a little smile amidst his “cool mountain breeze” demeanor, as he traversed the Narita Internation Airport terminal, before arriving at a press conference and film screening. Incidentally, “Keanu” means cool mountain breeze in the traditional Hawaiian dialect.

“47 Ronin” loosely describes historical events that took place during the Edo Period in Japan, known as Chūshingura. Chūshingura relates the story of the 47 Ronin, and their efforts to avenge the death of their master, Asano Naganori. Chūshingura is among the most well-known of all historical stories in Japan, and has been adapted for kabuki, bunraku, stage plays, films, novels, television shows and other media.

Director Rinsch said that he’d met with the “Matrix” star over two years ago in attempts at selling him on the project, and the effort paid off. Reeves has also been working on his directorial debut, “Man of Tai Chi,” which the actor describes as being “sophisticated camp… It’s supposed to be fun, but also deep with a nice message.”

Check out the “Man of Tai Chi” trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd5WUn2oM8Y

“Man of Tai Chi” opened in North America on November 1st to mixed reviews.

In related news, a website called Keanu Reeves is Immortal proves that the actor doesn’t age.

Image via YouTube.