Keanu Reeves stars in first trailer for 47 Ronin: watch now

Universal has released the first trailer for martial arts extravaganza 47 Ronin , in which Keanu Reeves heads up a group of banished samurai striving to restore their honour.

The new trailer goes big on the redemption story arc, with Reeves’ character suffering all manner of indignities before rising up to claim his revenge.

There’s also a hefty dose of the supernatural thrown in there for good measure, with fire-casting witches, ghost-like apparitions and giant beasts vying for attention alongside the swinging swords.

Take a look at the new trailer, below…

Hopefully the fantasy gubbins won’t distract too much from the central story, which had seemed strong enough to hold the attention without all the CGI bells and whistles. However, Keanu with a samurai sword is more than enough to keep us intrigued!

Directed by Carl Rinsch and co-starring Rinko Kikuchi and Hiroyuki Sanada, 47 Ronin will open in the US on 25 December 2013, before opening in the UK on 26 December.