Keanu Reeves goes samurai in Budapest

Matrix star Keanu Reeves has been indulging in some swordplay in the Hungarian capital, where the first part of a new samurai epic has just been filmed.

47 Ronin revives a real-life tale about a group of samurai warriors who seek to avenge the death of their master.

Universal Pictures awarded first time director Carl Rinsch a hefty 170 million dollars to complete the movie.

The debut director won his spurs on a series of adverts, but now he's having a slash at the silver screen, in what promises to be a fantastical trip into the unknown.

According to early reports, the movie mixes historical facts with unashamed fantasy, setting the action in a land inhabited by witches and giants.

Four noted Japanese actors have been cast alongside Reeve, and although some filming was done in Japanese, the main language will be English.

47 Ronin is set for release in late 2012.