It's been almost a year since the news broke that Keanu Reaves would be starring in 47 Ronin, Universal's 18th Century samurai epic. But now the project has finally gained a director, in the form of commercials director Carl Erik Rinsch.

This will be Rinsch's feature debut, and it's unusual for a first-timer to land such a huge project. But his ads for the likes of Lexus, BMW and Mercedes have long been attracting favourable attention, and nobody seems in doubt about his confidence and ability behind a camera. And he goes out with Ridley Scott's daughter, so those connections can't hurt. If you recognise his name, it might be because he was, for a short while, in talks for the Alien prequel until Sir Ridders was persuaded to do it himself.

Ronin, as you probably learned at the movies, are masterless samurai, and the story of the 47 Ronin, one of Japan's key national legends, concerns the vengeance of the titular group after their feudal lord is forced to commit ritual suicide, following an assault on a corrupt court official. The story is recounted in John Frankenheimer's Ronin to explain the title, and has been filmed at least half a dozen times before. 

The screenplay is by Wanted's Chris Morgan, who promises Lord of the Rings-type high fantasy and Gladiator-type battle scenes.

Frank Miller's Ronin, about a 13th century samurai transported to future New York, is also in the works.