In a year when a new Robin Hood is coming out, is there really room for another movie featuring knights wielding swords in the mud? When they involve Paul Giamatti as a snarling villain, then the answer is, yeah, probably. Empire Online has the first image from Ironclad, an action thriller described as a kind of Seven Samurai set in 13th century England.

In the photo is James Purefoy as the Templar Knight who leads a group of seven to defend a castle against the tyrant King John (Giamatti, of course). He definitely looks legit with the chain mail and the giant sword, but again, this movie has an uphill climb toward making an impact with Russell Crowe's Robin Hood lurking on the sidelines. No word on an American release date for this one, but with a sword that big, we'll probably know as soon as they set one.