Twenty years ago this month Clint Eastwood‘s western Unforgiven was released, which went on to win four Oscars including Best Picture and now it’s time for Japan’s take. Just as Seven Samurai was flipped into the western Magnificent Seven for the US, the process will be reversed for a remake of the 1992 film, Variety reports.
Inception star Ken Watanabe, who actually worked with Eastwood on Letters from Iwo Jima, will lead the remake from WB’s Japanese division. Set in the same time period of 1880, Watanabe will instead be a “a samurai with a violent past, who lives on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido with his aboriginal wife, but is brought out of retirement for one last job.” Titled Yurusarezaru Mono, which translates to the more expounded A Thing That Can’t Be Forgiven, Lee Sang-Il will be directing and his Villain star Akira Emoto will take the Morgan Freeman role, while Koichi Sato (The Magic Hour) will portray Gene Hackman‘s character.
Honestly, there’s not much to get upset about with this one. A fraction of US audiences will likely see this update and with the remake craze being so apparent, I’d much prefer these international re-dos. Watanabe should prove to have a great Eastwood-esque demeanor and with Warner Bros. actually being involved, there seems to be no harm done.
Production begins soon in Hokkaido for a fall 2013 international release.
Would you watch an Unforgiven remake?