Crossing cultures as well as swords, the script for Universal 1440’s projected 47 Ronin sequel will be written by two women of color: Aimee Garcia and AJ Mendez.
Garcia, who stars on Netflix’s Lucifer, is also starring in Marvel’s MODOK, slated to premiere on Hulu in May. Mendez, a former championship wrestler, co-authors with Garcia a number of comic-book series, including Glow and Dungeons and Dragons. Another of their titles, Wonder Woman, will be published this summer by DC Comics.
Mendez’s best-selling memoir, Crazy Is My Superpower, will be adapted for the screen by Scrappy Heart Productions, which the two women started to bring more diverse voices into the media. The yet-unnamed film will be directed by Ron Yuan as a sequel to the high-grossing Keanu Reeves swashbuckler that debuted in 2013. 47 Ronin is a fictionalized version of a real-life incident in 18th century Japan when a group of warriors vowed to avenge the death of their master by a bloodthirsty shogun.
Garcia was quoted in Deadline as saying: “AJ and I are excited to write a diverse and inclusive action film,” noting Yuan’s vision “to blend martial arts, horror, cyberpunk and action.” Mendez added that “as creators of color, we’re honored to be part o a modern, multicultural story with powerful female leads.
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