Keanu Reeves’ Biggest Movie Flop Got A Netflix Sequel 9 Years Later

«47 Ronin» was a large gamble for Universal Pictures, who handed the $175 million flick to director Carl Rinsch for his directorial debut. Upon release, «47 Ronin» was criticized for its poor pacing and narrative. The flick has a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, standing out as one of the biggest movies that overpromised and underdelivered. General audiences were also bummed with the pic, giving it a mediocre B+ CinemaScore — a poor grade for a large-scale blockbuster. Despite tepid responses from viewers, Reeves’ flop defied the odds and killed the charts when it debuted on Netflix, signaling that it’s at least worth a watch for curiosity’s sake. 

Thanks to poor word of mouth and horrible reviews, «47 Ronin» didn’t have the juice to command box office glory. It was released during the crowded Christmas weekend of 2013, facing stiff competition from «Frozen,» «The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug,» and «The Wolf of Wall Street.» It made a weak $9 million during its debut weekend and quietly disappeared from multiplexes, grossing just $38 million in North America. The film only made $2.8 million in Japan — a less than enthusiastic response from the country the picture takes inspiration from. 

With such lackluster receipts, it’s surprising that Netflix and Universal Pictures decided to debut a sequel in the form of «Blade of the 47 Ronin.» Then again, the Netflix sequel is largely divorced from the original and serves as a great way to capitalize on existing IP while tackling a new story.