Canadian actor, musician, and all round good guy Keanu Reeves has made efforts to defend his director pal Carl Rinsch prior to his imminent sentencing. Rinsch is guilty of wire fraud, money laundering, and making illegal transactions.
Specifically, per Variety, back in December of 2025, Rinsch was convicted on charges of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million. The defrauding occurred during production of the never-completed sci-fi series “White Horse.”
Rinsch, who was 48 at the time of his conviction, unsuccessfully attempted to explain away the situation as a misunderstanding. He insisted that he completed principal photography on the show’s first season and needed the money for pre-production on Season 2.
However, Netflix disagreed. They said Season 1 was far from complete and they never even ordered a second season.
In the case’s closing arguments, prosecutors argued that Rinsch deliberately concealed his motives for obtaining the money. They also say he subsequently used it to embark on a lavish spending spree. According to Business Insider, said spree included buying five Rolls-Royces and, somewhat peculiarly, spending $638,000 on mattresses.
The threat of over a decade in prison potentially looms for Rinsch. The director will be hoping the words of his friend and one-time collaborator, beloved actor Reeves, will help him receive a less harsh sentence.
Keanu Reeves Worked With Carl Rinsch on ’47 Ronin’
GettyCarl Rinsch has a relatively modest filmography that only includes one theatrical movie.
Per IMDb, his other directorial credits include four short films and a music video. He has also directed several commercials.
The four short films he’s directed are 1994’s “The Quiz,” 1996’s “Lovely Weather for Rain,” 2010’s “The Gift,” and 2015’s “The Shapeshifter.” The one music video he has directed was for Swedish House Mafia’s 2012 single “Greyhound.”
However, his one theatrical movie credit is a notable one, to say the least. Rinsch directed the 2013 historical fantasy action movie “47 Ronin.” The film had a sizable budget of $175 million (per Box Office Mojo).
The movie starred Keanu Reeves as a half-Japanese, half-English outcast named Kai. It co-starred the likes of Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, and Ko Shibasaki.
IMDb describes the movie’s plot as follows: “A band of samurai sets out to avenge the death and dishonor of their master at the hands of a ruthless shogun.”
Although the movie was critically panned (its Rotten Tomatoes approval rating is a measly 16%) and lost money at the box office, Reeves’ experience working on it was positive enough for him to come to Rinsch’s aid amid his legal troubles.
Reeves Has Written a Letter of Support for Rinsch
GettyPer Page Six, Keanu Reeves has written a letter of support ahead of Carl Rinch’s sentencing. Said sentencing will occur today, on Monday, June 29.
Reeves’ letter begins, “In my opinion, Carl can self-sabotage by amplifying the scale, scope, and landscape of what had been negotiated, accordingly placing himself and his counterparties at odds.”
It goes on, “I do not intend to share this as a diminishment of what he has been found to have done, but offer this solely as perhaps an insight into why.”
The letter concludes, “I hope you are able to find leniency for this man. To the extent you deem appropriate, I believe such leniency would be a healing act to go along with the punishment he will live with.”
Whether or not Reeves’ letter makes any difference to Rinsch’s sentence remains to be seen. What is almost certain is that the “47 Ronin” director will end up behind bars. We await the outcome of his sentencing with interest.
