Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy director Gore Verbinski (pictured left) has been tapped to direct a feature film adaptation of 2K Games' BioShock, Variety reports.

The film will be developed by Universal Studios, which green-lit a multimillion-dollar advance to BioShock publisher and property owner Take-Two Interactive for the film rights.

Universal also announced that Gladiator, The Aviator and Sweeny Todd screenwriter John Logan is in talks to pen the film's script. The studio has not yet targeted a release date for the film, though director Verbinski said he plans to start pre-production as soon as the script is finished and approved.

Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick said the deal was structured to prevent any hangups in production, and to protect the property. Zelnick himself, formerly president of Fox, brokered the deal in lieu of a production company.

"The reason I structured it the way I did is to make sure it gets made," Zelnick said. "One of the things we decided early on is that we didn't want to go through a producer. It's terribly important to us to have a meaningful influence on how ... Read more

To prevent infamous director Uwe Boll from creating more video game-based films, the makers of Stride gum today announced that it will provide free packs of gum to those who sign the Stop Uwe Boll internet petition, provided that it reaches a million signatures.

The oft-hated filmmaker had previously claimed that he would stop directing films if a petition reached one million signatures. Should the milestone be reached by May 23, the release date of Boll's latest adaptation Postal, Stride promises to offer signatories a downloadable coupon for a free pack of gum.

"Since gamers are one of our most supportive groups, we've been looking for ways to return the favor," said Stride marketing director Gary Osifchin. "And what better way is there to get gamer's backs than by helping them rescue their cherished videogames from the clutches of Uwe Boll?"

Though the move appears to be little more than a publicity... Read more

Contrary to speculation that the release of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV would harm the Iron Man box office take, the film pulled roughly $104M in weekend ticket sales, Variety reports.

Industry figureheads and analysts alike had been raising questions as to Rockstar's open-world action title's effect on Iron Man's performance as early as March, suggesting that the title would steal the spotlight from the comic book adaptation.

But with a relatively stellar opening weekend, it appears that the release of GTA IV last week has had little effect on Iron Man's sales. Sales data for the film's multiplatform game adaptation, however, has not yet been made available. Variety's Ben Fritz suspects that the game will have a more realized effect on home video sales and TV ratings than big screen features.

Last fall, several Hollywood executives blamed the arrival of Bungie's Halo 3 (X360) for a 27% drop in ticket sales and the lackluster performance of The Heartbreak Kid, causing some to fear the repercussions of Grand Theft Auto IV's release.

More speculation is pouring in that tomorrow's release of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) could dampen this Friday's arrival of the Iron Man film and its accompanying game, though not everyone is convinced.

"There's a big reset happening now," Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello told the Financial Times. "I don't think I've ever heard of [Hollywood being afraid of a game] before."

Last fall, some Hollywood executives blamed Bungie's Halo 3 (X360) for a 27% drop in ticket sales, causing a bit of Grand Theft Auto IV paranoia in Tinsel Town.

Earlier this month, a report surfaced that GTA 4 publisher Take-Two expects sales of $400 million in the game's first week on store shelves. The best of estimates have the Robert Downey Jr.-starring Iron Man flick pulling in a scant $100 million during its opening weekend at the box office.

However, not everyone believes that Grand Theft Auto IV is such a bad... Read more

Proving itself even more worthy of adoration, developer Blizzard has rejected an offer that would have seen reviled director Uwe Boll working on a World of Warcraft film.

"I got in contact with Paul Sams of Blizzard [about a World of Warcraft film] and he said, 'We will not sell the movie rights, not to you...especially not to you,'" Boll informed MTV News.

"Because it's such a big online game success, maybe a bad movie would destroy that ongoing income."

The director of such game-to-film adaptations as Far Cry, BloodRayne, Alone in the Dark, Postal, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and House of the Dead also spoke on the importance of ignoring a game's core fanbase.

"To be honest, the real gamers are the typical download guys, right?" Boll reasoned. "They don't pay anything for movies, because they illegally download the movies. So why [should I] please these guys? I need the normal audience."

Last August, Blizzard confirmed it would thankfully be taking the reigns of the Warcraft movie rights, with the studio-endorsed film, produced in conjunction with Legendary Pictures, currently slated for a vague 2009 release.

Update: ComingSoon.net has word from Disney, which claims there is no truth to the rumor of Bloom starring as the Prince.

Original story: According to movie site Hollywood.com, actor Orlando Bloom (caricatured left) has been tapped to play the lead role in the upcoming film adaptation of Jordan Mechner's classic Prince of Persia series.

The English-born Bloom's previous credits include the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogies, as well as the epics Troy and Kingdom of Heaven.

"Call him 'professional dreamboat'," said Shacknews staffer Chris Faylor. "You have to."

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Mike Newell (Pushing Tin, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), the film is set to start filming this summer. The script was written by Mechner, who created the Prince of Persia series for Broderbund in 1989.

The last release in the Prince of Persia series was a reimaginging of the original title on the Xbox Live Arcade platform. Ubisoft recently confirmed that development of a new Prince of Persia game is currently underway, aimed for release in Ubisoft's 2008 fiscal year which begins April 1, 2008 and ends March 31, 2009.

Vertical Limit and Batman & Robin star Chris O'Donnell (pictured left) has joined the cast of the game-to-film adaptation of Max Payne, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Though O'Donnell will play an executive named Jason Colvins, his exact role in the film, including how or if it relates to the story of the original game, is currently unknown.

Today's revelation marks the fourth major cast member to be unveiled, with Mark Wahlberg playing Max Payne, Beau Bridge serving as his mentor B.B. Hensley, and Mila Kunis as a female assassin--a character known as Mona in the two games.

Directed by John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, The Omen), penned by freshmen writer Beau Thorne, the film is currently shooting in Toronto. No release date has been set.

Despite the expected surge in the franchise's popularity, property owner Take-Two has remained mum on the possibility of another Max Payne game.

Allaying fears of bugdet-related holdups, producer Wyck Godfrey expects Gears of War feature film to release in the summer of 2010.

"We'll hopefully make [Gears of War] early next year for the summer of 2010," Godfrey told ComingSoon.net. "We've got our script on and a director we're about to attach."

As reported last March, writer Stuart Beattie was brought on to adapt the first game, which details an invasion by underground baddies known as Locusts, to the screen. Beattie was aided in his quest by Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski.

"I think we have a really great script and now it's just a matter of getting the right director attached and making sure it becomes a 'AAA' blockbuster movie," Bleszinski said late last year.

Released in November 2006, Epic Games' Gears of War represents one of the major console-exclusive titles for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console. Epic recently announced that Gears of War 2 will arrive on Xbox 360 this fall.

Though Epic has yet to comment on a possible PC edition, it is expected that the PC version of Gears of War 2 will arrive a year or so later, much like the PC port of the first title.

Hoping to expand the offerings of the online Xbox Live Video Marketplace, console manufacturer Microsoft has tapped Hollywood producer Peter Safran to create a series of original shorts that will debut exclusively on the service.

Launched in late 2006, the Xbox Live Video Marketplace allows Xbox 360 owners to download films and television shows, usually for a fee. The scripted shorts will mark the service's first original production as well as the first original dedicated series to be created for and distributed by a video game console.

"We definitely look at this as the first of many," global Xbox Live marketing manager Scott Nocas told The New York Times.

The content will be targeted towards the male-centric 14-to-34 Xbox 360-owning demographic. It is is expected to begin arriving this fall, with Safran's Safran Company hoping to enlist other Hollywood veterans, though not A-list stars, in the production process.

Founded by Safran, who served as a producer on Meet the Spartans and as an executive producer on My Baby's Daddy, the Safran Company operates in several fields, including talent representation and digital production.

While the content will debut on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, Safran noted that the shows may eventually appear elsewhere.

Publisher Electronic Arts and multimedia firm Starz today announced that they are working to transform three EA franchises into animated releases, with the first being a movie based on EA Redwood Shores' upcoming survival horror title Dead Space.

A prequel to the game itself, the Dead Space feature will take place after the comic book, explaining the circumstances that lead to the events of the title's creepy alien invasion. It is slated to debut alongside the game, which hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 31.

At present, Starz plans to air the movie via broadcast first, with a DVD release following. The animation will be handled by the company's Film Roman unit.

"With the video game, comic book and now animated movie, Dead Space has become a true multimedia brand," said game executive producer Glen Schofield. "Each of these elements delivers the story to new audiences and tells it from different aspects and perspectives."

The Wizard and Charlotte's Web veteran Beau Bridges (pictured left) has been cast in the upcoming game-to-film adaptation of Max Payne, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In the film, Bridges will play B.B. Hensley, who acts as Max Payne's mentor. Max Payne will be played by Mark Wahlberg, with Mila Kunis portraying a female assassin attempting to avenge her sister's death--a character known as Mona in the two games.

No release date has been announced for the movie, which is currently shooting. It is being directed by John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, The Omen) and was penned by freshmen writer Beau Thorne.

Despite the expected surge in the franchise's popularity, property owner Take-Two has remained mum on the possibility of another Max Payne game.

Capcom today revealed several cast members for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of its popular Street Fighter franchise, confirming previous reports as well as unveiling some new faces.

Michael Clark Duncan (pictured left) will be joining the cast as the rough-and-tumble boxer Balrog. Duncan's resume includes Sin City, Daredevil, The Green Mile and numerous other credits.

Additionally, Chris Klein (Election, American Pie) has been tapped to play Charlie Nash, and the Black Eyed Peas' Taboo will take up the role of Vega. Neal McDonough (The Hitcher, Flags of Our Fathers) will star as M. Bison. They join Smallville's Kristin Kreuk, who will play Chun Li.

While Capcom did not confirm whether Doom director Andrzej Bartkowiak would be helming the project, the company did state that Street Fighter is scheduled for a worldwide 2009 release.

The April 29 release of Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) may cause some problems for Paramount and Marvel's Iron Man film, Next Generation reports.

According to Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey, the highly anticipated game "could dampen the potential from Iron Man's theatrical release."

The movie, which stars Robert Downey Jr. (pictured left), is slated to arrive on May 2, a scant three days after GTA4.

Last fall, several Hollywood executives blamed the arrival of Bungie's Halo 3 (X360) for a 27% drop in ticket sales and the lackluster performance of The Heartbreak Kid, causing some to fear the repercussions of Grand Theft Auto IV's eventual arrival.

"The audience on this game is the 18-to-34 demographic, similar to what you'd see in cinemas," Hickey noted at the time.

Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy director Gore Verbinski (pictured left) has revealed his hopes to create a video game, marking the latest Hollywood director to make the leap to game development.

Other renowned directors who have recently transitioned into video game production include Steven Spielberg, who is working with EA Los Angeles to create Boom Blox (Wii) and other titles, and Michael Bay.

Speaking on his particular project, Verbinski offered few details. "It's a little bit out there," he told the Los Angeles Times. "Although I really enjoy Halo and BioShock, I'm not interested in jumping in to compete with those guys. I want to come in from a completely different direction."

Though a long-time fan of video games, a series of back-to-back projects, including The Ring and The Weather Man, kept Verbinksi out of the loop for over seven years. "[Video games are] a completely different form of narrative than being told a... Read more

Variety reports that actress Mila Kunis (pictured left), best known for her work on That '70s Show and Family Guy, is joining the cast of the Max Payne movie.

She will play an assassin trying to avenge her sister's death, teaming up with Payne in the process. It was previously confirmed that Mark Wahlberg is cast as Max Payne.

John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, Flight of the Phoenix, The Omen) is directing a script penned by Beau Thorne, a first-time screenwriter. No release date has been announced for the movie.

Variety reports on the latest Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li news, noting that Michael Clarke Duncan and Chris Klein are among several new actors to have been cast in the movie. They join Kristin Kreuk (pictured left), who stars as Chun Li.

Michael Clarke Duncan (Daredevil, The Green Mile) is set to play Balrog, while Chris Klein (American Pie) will be Chris/Nash. Other actors joining the cast include Rick Yune (Die Another Day, The Fast and the Furious), Moon Bloodgood (Journeyman, Eight Below) and Taboo (Black Eyed Peas).

Helmed by DOOM director Andrzej Bartkowiak, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li is set to begin filming next month, with the theatrical release expected in 2009.

Here we present a preview of the latest Uwe Boll masterpiece that may or may not come to a theater! There's been no actual release date set for this, but what we can tell you is that the plot points include spoofs of 9/11 and Jewish culture.

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Uwe recently said that he's stepping away from big budget movies after his latest box office failure. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale had a budget of around $70 million, and pulled in roughly $3 million on opening week. So if you ever start to get down on yourself, feeling like you don't have any real talent, take heart: Boll is proof positive you can be a worthless dingleberry of society and still make millions of dollars.

Following a withdrawal of studio support from the Halo film adaptation last October, executive producer Peter Jackson (Meet the Feebles, Bad Taste, The Making of 'The Frighteners') has voiced his belief that the project will get back on track amidst the inevitable furor that will accompany the release of Bungie's Halo 3 (X360) later this year.

Speaking to The Dominion Post, the filmmaker (pictured left) emphasized that he and longtime co-writer Fran Walsh (Meet the Feebles, The Frighteners, Jack Brown Genius) will maintain involvement only if director Neill Blomkamp remains attached. Blomkamp, director of the well-received ... Read more

Variety reports that 20th Century Fox has inked a deal with Electronic Arts to produce a live-action movie based off EA's popular The Sims series (pictured left). The script will be written by Brian Lynch, who recently wrote and directed Big Helium Dog and is also credited as a co-writer on Scary Movie 3. Norbit producer John Davis has been tasked with the project, with EA's The Sims Division studio vice president Rod Humble participating as well.

No story details were disclosed, leaving it unclear how the film will be able to recreate the appeal of The Sims' open-ended freedom within the confines of a ... Read more

Variety has an update on the previously reported Kane & Lynch film coming from Lionsgate, suggesting that Jieho Lee (pictured left) is in talks to direct. Having directed several short films, Lee wrote and directed full-length film, The Air I Breathe, last year.

Lionsgate has commissioned two scripts, one from Kyle Ward and one from Lee and The Air I Breathe co-writer Bob DeRosa, with shooting set to begin in the fall. Ward wrote and produced the 2005 short film 3 Rounds, and recently had a script optioned by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes. Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter, who are producing the film version of IO Interactive's Hitman series for 20th ... Read more