The Keanu Reeves Fantasy-Adventure Flop Defying Odds And Killing It On Netflix

If people don't remember much about the 2013 fantasy action feature "47 Ronin," nobody would really blame them. But despite the fact that the fictionalized take on the real-life forty-seven Ronin starring Keanu Reeves and Hiroyuki Sanada went mostly unnoticed when it first arrived, the ambitious adaptation of the classic Japanese tale has somehow managed to find success almost a decade later on Netflix.

While Universal Pictures did release "47 Ronin" on Christmas Day, the motion picture was certainly not the gift anyone had put on their wish list. The movie was maligned by critics when it debuted and now sits with embarrassing ratings on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Among the many that didn't like the flick, James Croot didn't hold back in his scathing review for Stuff, writing, "Heavy on CGI, light on entertainment, '47 Ronin' is a dreary and deathly dull tale that you will endure, rather than enjoy."

The film is widely considered to be one of the worst movies Keanu Reeves has ever starred in, and his role is definitely not revered as one of the best characters the actor has ever played. But somehow, it has managed to find its way to the #5 spot on Netflix's daily Top 10 Movies in the U.S. chart so many years later. This is quite a fascinating feat for the film to accomplish, considering how early on its budget issues barely gave it any chance of victory.

There were several factors that played into the ill-fated debut of "47 Ronin," especially in the financial department. The motion picture was originally scheduled to release in November 2012, but after a series of delays and reshoots, the film arrived on December 25, 2013. When it finally came out, the movie kicked off its run with a dismal $9.9 million over the holiday weekend and finished with only $115 million worldwide.

According to The Wrap, Universal Pictures pulled the film away from the director's grasp during the editing process because the budget had reportedly increased from $175 million to $225 million, leaving the studio in the dismal situation of having to make over $500 million at the box office in order to just break even. Needless to say, the movie didn't hit those numbers. 

Despite its devastating box office return and a slew of production-related issues, "47 Ronin" has managed to remain resilient, making way for it to finally be victorious on Netflix.