Actor Ken Watanabe will step into Clint Eastwood's shoes for a Japanese samurai remake of the 1992 Western classic Unforgiven.

Sang-il Lee (Hula Girls) will direct the remake, entitled Yurusarezaru Mono (A Thing That Can't Be Forgiven). Ken Watanabe will play an exiled samurai with a history of violence who lives in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. He is pulled out of retirement for one final job. Kôichi Satô will play the Little Bill Daggett role originated by Gene Hackman, while Akira Emoto will star in the Ned Logan role originally played by Morgan Freeman.

Warner Entertainment Japan is producing, with shooting scheduled to begin later this fall in Hokkaido. Like the original, this Japanese remake will also be set in the year 1880. The studio is aiming for a fall 2013 release in Japan.

Unforgiven won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman), and Best Film Editing (Joel Cox).