Shinobi Tagged Articles at Cinematical

There is still some "owski" in this new remake, but not the kind you're probably thinking. Way back in September of 2005, Erik Davis posted that the Wachowskis were interested in remaking Shinobi, and turning it into a spy caper, of all things. Now the Japanese action hit is getting a remake, but with Max Makowski instead. Variety has reported that Universal nabbed the remake rights to the film, and set up Makowski to write and direct it. The director's last film was the 2005 Asian gangster feature called One Last Dance, which premiered at Sundance, and got him a nomination for the festival's Grand Jury Prize.

Our Kim Voynar reviewed the original Shinobi last year at SIFF, and described it as a "visually stunning" and "satisfying little flick." Now the question is -- just how much is going to be different for this remake? While it is still keeping the ties to Romeo and Juliet, Makowski plans to modernize it and reset it in his home-base of Hong Kong. Instead of rival ninjas dueling, "the victor of a 160-year-old feud between two multinational security forces is being decided, with a love affair complicating matters." Sticking to his last theme, the director will incorporate Asian gangster elements, along with some from ninja films. Well, at least it isn't spies! But really, with all of these changes, why not start from scratch? This is sounding a lot more like an "inspired by" instance, and not a remake. Plans are to finish the screenplay by the end of this year, and start production in early 2008.

Take Romeo and Juliet, blend with a liberal dose of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and what do you get? You get Shinobi, a visually stunning film about the Iga and the Koga, two ninja tribes with magical powers. Sworn enemies, the tribes have nonetheless managed to live at peace with each other thanks to a treaty forbidding them from fighting. That doesn't mean they have to like each other, though. Then one day Oboro (Yukie Nakama), the granddaughter of the matriarch of the Iga clan, happens to meet Gennosuke (Jô Odagiri), the son of the Kouga chief, at the watering hole. For reasons that are never made completely clear (but is love ever really completely clear?) the two fall deeply in forbidden love. The idealistic Gennosuke thinks they can just tell their respective families about their love and all will be well: "Look, Dad, the Iga are nice! I'm in love with one of them!" The more pragmatic Oboro warns Gennosuke that no happiness can come of their love. Guess who's going to be right?