Keanu Reeves has been named as the star of the forthcoming 47 Ronin, a "stylised" take on the legend of the band of masterless samurai.
The film promises to blend some fantasy-friendly Lord Of The Rings-style sorcery with the classic samurai swordplay. It will be written by Chris Morgan, who scripted the summer action flick Wanted and is involved in the fourth instalment of Fast And Furious, which marks the return of the original film's stars and Morgan's second crack at the franchise after Fast And Furious: Tokyo Drift.
The script for 47 Ronin will be taillored to take account of Reeves' own ethnicity (he's half-Asian) and shooting will begin in early 2009. By then the Matrix star's fans will all have seen him in The Day The Earth Stood Still, a remake of the sci-fi classic which arrives in UK screens next week on December 12, including a spectacular IMAX version on London's Southbank.
The rumours of Bill And Ted 3 continue since Reeve's comments last week, but with Ronin and two other products in hand it looks like Reeves may reach 47 years old before the film actually happens!