Noteworthy in the sense that we've only just been talking about a new chambara film being prepared in Japan.

Perhaps we didn't care or thought the idea was just too silly that it couldn't be true but almost a year ago it was announced that Keanu Reeves would be starring in an American take on the story of the 47 Ronin. [Insert picking ourselves up from the floor]

No sooner had we caught our breath then it was announced that the screenplay would be written by Chris Morgan. He wrote such sprawling epics as Cellular, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Wanted and Fast & Furious. But he silenced any doubters in an interview with cultural hot pot MTV, "It's this great, 'Gladiator'-esque, '300'-like big action movie with samurai and ninja," Morgan said. Although some "47 Ronin" enthusiasts have their doubts about the "Fast and Furious" scribe tackling the beloved Japanese tale, Morgan points to his long history as a "huge fan of samurai culture," which he backs up with extensive knowledge of the "Ronin" story. "'The 47 Ronin' is a true story that took place around 1700-1701," Morgan said. "It's a time in Japanese culture when it was all about [the] bushido [code] and honor, and putting internal things over external things -- swords that were made to be functional instead of ornamental, that kind of stuff." Yes. That kind of stuff.

And today it was announced that Universal has found their patsy, scapegoat, man to helm this great combination of film making intellectuals, Carl Rinsch. If you haven't heard of him do not worry. Carl is actually an amazingly competent commercial film maker whose resume I am quite fond of [examples after the break]. But what concerns me is that the kind of work he has done leans strongly towards futuristic themes and technology. At one point his name was floating around the Alien prequel, a film far more suited for his futuristic leaning I would say, but that's gone back to Ridley 'Zzzzzzzz' Scott.

Can he do it? Out of respect for Carl's work I hope he can.