Stefan Fangmeier'sbig budget fantasy picture Eragon has just started shooting in Hungary,at a built set near Budakeszi, just outside of Budapest.

The film will shootin nine different locations in Hungary until October 29, as well as a week oflocation work in Slovakia.

The film is based onthe best-selling novel of the same title written by Christopher Paolini.

The film's leadcharacter, a young boy who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a youngdragon, is played by seventeen years old newcomer Ed Speelers. The cast alsoincludes Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich. The film's leadinglady is still to be cast at this point.

Eragon is scheduled to be released on June 16, 2006in the US by 20th Century Fox.

The production willtake advantage of the 20 percent tax break offered by the new Hungarian filmlaw.

Eragon is the latest in a number of internationalshoots to film in Hungary. Steven Spielberg's untitled thriller set in theaftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre is filming there this year.Agnieszka Holland's Copying Beethoven shot there this year, as did JoeCardone's Velvet Side of Hell.