In expanding its catalog of action movies, Netflix has teamed up with John Wick director Chad Stahelski to make a live-action adaptation of Marc Olden’s Black Samurai books. John Wick talent + samurai sounds like a combo that could punch right to the top of Netflix action content.
Netflix’s Black Samurai will be directed by Chad Stahelski, who helmed the acclaimed John Wick movies starring Keanu Reeves. More recently, Stahelski directed Netflix’s Day Shift movie starring Jamie Foxx.
The script is written by Leigh Dana Jackson, whose credits include Netflix’s Raising Dion and Foundation.
Chad Stahelski and Leigh Dana Jackson
Starz was developing a Black Samurai TV series in 2017 with Common tapped to produce and star in it. That project never went anywhere, and after a time, it passed on to Netflix.
Stahelski will also produce along with Jason Spitz and Alex Young for 87Eleven Entertainment and John Schoenfelder and Russell Ackerman for Addictive Pictures.
Diane Crafford will exec produce along with Liza Fleissig and Andre Gaines of Cinemation Studios. Here’s everything else we know about Netflix’s Black Samurai:
What’s the plot of Black Samurai?
As mentioned above, Netflix’s Black Samurai is a live-action adaptation of Marc Olden’s series of novels of the same name. The first film will likely adapt the first book but there are eight in total.
Here is a synopsis of the story of Black Samurai:
“On leave in Tokyo, American GI Robert Sand is shot trying to protect an old man from a quartet of drunk American soldiers. As Sand passes out, the old man springs on his tormenters, beating them senseless with frail, wrinkled fists. He is Master Konuma, keeper of the ancient secrets of the samurai, and Sand is about to become his newest pupil. Over the next seven years, the American learns martial arts, swordplay, and stealth, becoming not just the first black man to ever take the oath of the samurai, but the strongest fighter Konuma has ever trained.
One night, two dozen terrorists ambush the dojo, slaughtering Konuma and his students as the first step in a terrifying assault on world peace. Though he cannot save his sensei, Sand escapes with his life and a gnawing hunger for vengeance. All he has is his sword, but his sword is all he needs.”
Who is cast in Black Samurai?
As of October 2022, no cast members have been announced for Netflix’s Black Samurai.
As the project is in early development, we should hear some news in the coming months.
What’s the production status of Black Samurai?
Netflix’s Black Samurai is currently in its early development stage, where the team behind the project is penning the script as we speak with pre-production following after.
What’s the Netflix release date for Black Samurai?
Netflix hasn’t announced any dates for Black Samurai, but considering its very early development stage, we can probably expect only a late 2023 or 2024 release date.