Gears Turning on Gears of War Movie

With Epic's Gears of War such an instant success on Xbox 360, and publisher Microsoft undoubtedly looking to extend the brand, it comes as little surprise that Hollywood trade publication Variety reports that a Gears of War movie adaptation is set for production. New Line Studios has acquired the movie rights for the license. Stuart Beattie, screenwriter on Collateral, Derailed, and the upcoming video game adaptation Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run, prepared a treatment and is slated to write the screenplay. Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey will producing through their production company Temple Hill. Previously, the pair teamed up to produce last year's The Nativity Story, and is also currently producing the romantic drama Paper Wings. No director has been announced for the project. Microsoft previously attempted to bring one of its exclusive franchises to the big screen with the much-trumpeted Halo adaptation, at one point set to be directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson's Wingnut Films. Last year, production was put on indefinite hold after the movie's financiers pulling out due to continually increasing budgets.