Keanu Reeves defends 47 Ronin director at trial

The actor intervened with the American justice system to ask for clemency for the filmmaker, convicted of having defrauded Netflix.

While director Carl Rinsch risks several years in prison for having embezzled $11 million paid by Netflix, Keanu Reeves has intervened with the American justice system to ask for leniency.

In a letter to Judge Jed Rakoff, the star of John Wick describes the filmmaker of 47 Ronin like a “exceptional artist“and calls on the court to demonstrate”clemency and mercy” at the time of the verdict.

Last December, Carl Rinsch was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and illegal financial transactions. According to prosecutors, the money paid by Netflix to finance the sci-fi series White Horse would have been used for extravagant personal expenses: luxury cars, high-end mattresses or even massive investments in cryptocurrencies.

Keanu Reeves knows the director well since he had filmed under his direction in 47 Ronin. The actor also participated in the launch of White Horse as a mentor and first investor. In his letter, he specifies that he is not seeking to minimize the facts alleged against the filmmaker, but is trying to shed light on his personality and his creative motivations (via Variety):

“In my opinion, Carl can self-sabotage by constantly amplifying the scale and ambitions of the negotiated projects, which ends up putting him in conflict with his partners. I don’t say this to diminish what he was convicted of, but simply to try to explain why.”

Carl Rinsch must be sentenced on June 29. According to defense calculations, he could receive 8 to 10 years in prison according to American federal recommendations.

His lawyers are nevertheless asking for a much lower sentence, recalling that this is his first conviction and that this case already represents “the probable end of his career.”

The judge is also expected to order the director to repay the $11 million to Netflix. The platform is also demanding an additional 4.4 million to cover its legal fees incurred during the investigation and legal proceedings. Carl Rinsch’s lawyers, however, consider this sum excessive, especially since the director was legally recognized as being without sufficient financial resources.