WB nabs rights to 'Ronin'
White to direct live-action feature
By MICHAEL FLEMING
'Ronin'

After turning the Frank Miller graphic novel "300" into a hit, Warner Bros. has optioned the rights to Miller's "Ronin" to adapt into a live-action feature. Sylvain White ("Stomp the Yard") will direct.

In the story, a ronin, or disgraced samurai warrior, bears the shame of allowing his master to be assassinated by a shape-shifting demon in 13th century Japan. When the master's sword is unearthed in mid-21st century New York, the ronin and the demon are brought to life and battle gangs of mutants and thugs to try to take possession of the mythical sword.

The graphic novel was published by DC Comics.

Pic will be produced by Gianni Nunnari and Nick Wechsler, with Craig Flores exec producing. Nunnari and Flores, who are partners in Hollywood Gang, were producers on "300." Miller will be an exec producer as well.

"Ronin" will be shot in a fashion similar to that employed for "300," in which blue- and green-screen lensing was done on a Montreal soundstage to create an ancient Greece battleground for a $65 million film. Costs are comparable for "Ronin," making the film a big step up for White, who graduated from directing videos to helming the film "Stomp the Yard" at a cost of around $14 million.

"Ronin" is "one of Frank Miller's earliest and best graphic novel creations, one that has long been a cult graphic novel," White told Daily Variety. "There is a classic good-evil struggle between the samurai and the demon."

While White has several development projects percolating, he said that "Ronin" is his top priority.

"This is the one I'd like to do next, because I'm so passionate about it," he said.

WMA is negotiating his deal.

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Now, I really liked the mini-series, but it's a little light on material. I wonder how much will be embellished for the silver screen. Plus, it's a rather tough translation to screen. How does one catagorize it? Sci-fi?

I forget, did DC or Miller retain the rights to this comic? If it was DC, Warner "nabbing" the rights wouldn't exactly have been too difficult.

I wish they would just have Frank Miller direct it. I think by now he knows a thing or two about directing.

While that's a much more savvy and professional choice than the studio made, this pic screams Chris Cunningham.
It would almost make up for his rendition of Neuromancer that was strangled in the womb.

Why not let somebody who doesn't suck direct it? That's all I want to know.

All I know is, that as of late, Frank Miller is friggin' cleaning up.

What are you, dense? Are you retarded or something? Who the hell do you think he is? He's the goddamn director of Stomp the yard!

Not to mention the direct to DVD sleeper hit, I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer. It makes the JLH and SMG original look like the crapfest Stomp the Ya...

Wait...Nevermind.

Might actually be good if those Samurai's and Ninja's get into a dance routine or something.

I thought the Robert De Niro original was better

I knew this was inevitable once 300 hit it big. Why the man who did "Stomp the Yard?" Granted, I was wondering why they got the man behind the "Dawn of the Dead" remake to do 300, but he made more sense than this one, and it was a pet project of his, so he was going to make suer it was done correctly. This just reaks of hired gun.

Probably because "Dawn of the Dead" was a big hit and, because of it, Snyder had the juice to pick his next project. I'm sure that Sin City opened the door for the argument that a Frank Miller adaptation was a good idea, and the "Sky Captain" tech allowed them to hope for a potential "Gladiator" without exposing themselves to a potential "Troy."

I am pretty sure "300" was Snyder's baby that he sold to the studios, and "Ronin" is probably a studio's boneheaded attempt to bottle the lightning. Whatever you think of "300," Snyder seems to be a genuine talent, and he's likely to become an A list director. This "Stomp The Yard" guy probably is not.

The Frank Miller adaptation I'd really want to see is "Dark Knight Returns," directed by and starring Mel Gibson.

Apparently people who don't suck cost too much.

I agree. Like I said, when I read up on the movie and saw that Snyder actually wanted to make 300 before Dawn, and he was a fan of the comic, I knew he was right.

I just finished watching Stomp the Yard and it is literally one of the worst films I've ever seen.

Ronin

I got the joke, sadly, so dont feel bad that no one else did.

Also the reason why I dont think miller should direct it either.

Dude! Seriously that is a great idea.

We just wanted to let you feel special! No-one else knew it's from All-Star Batman.

I gave up on any hope of a legit DKR film on 9/11

I'm not going to cry about this. I'll wait until there's at least a trailer.

Hey! I posted that Batman panel in the random pictures thread on Other a long time ago. I got the joke!!!











JK. I'm not

After 300 came out, I definitely recall Miller saying, in an interview somewhere, that he wasn't going to allow any more of his graphic novels to be made into films unless he was the one who was going to be directing. So what happened?

Probably paid him more to keep quiet and uninvolved than they will the actual hack director.

Only problem is Frank Miller is not member of Director Guild, many studios will not allow Frank to direct any of his graphic novels. Sin City was independed, Robert Rodriguez quit Director Guild, so that he can have Frank Miller direct Sin City with him.

So I take it that the only way Rodriguez can direct a movie is if it is independently made (i.e., made by Troublemaker Studios)?