There's a really neat-sounding small-scale sci-fi project in development at Overture Films called Pandorum. But for the news that Paul W.S. Anderson is involved, I'd be really excited. Pandorum will be about two spaceship crewmen who wake up on their ship with no idea who they are or what they're supposed to be doing. Soon, they "make a discovery that threatens the survival of mankind."

Anderson didn't write and won't be directing the film -- those tasks both fall to relative unknowns -- but he is reteaming with his Resident Evil cohorts to produce it. He's not exactly on my must list these days, since the Resident Evil franchise has pretty much died under his supervision and AvP isn't exactly a venerable addition to the list of ongoing big-name series. Pandorum's premise sounds cool, but then so did Event Horizon's until you actually learned what was going on. In any case, Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster (in a possible rare non-psychopathic role?) have signed on to star as our heroes, which is good news. I guess the big question is what exactly the two of them "discover" on that spaceship.

Pandorum is supposed to start production in August in Berlin, according to the Variety piece; no word on a release date. Sci-fi fans, make a note of it.

While watching television last night (might've been during the college basketball game), I spotted this new Pontiac commercial; one that utilizes the old school Spy Hunter game. Once it ended, my friend and I looked at each other and were like, "Dude, let's check that out again." The commercial starts out on that classic video game screen before transforming into this sort of half real, half CGI realm -- with the Pontiac car as the hero (of course), as well as all our favorite villains from the game (damn that guy with the spikes coming from his wheels).

As far as the actual Spy Hunter movie goes, that thing has been up in the air for, like, ever now. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was supposed to star in the lead role with Paul W.S. Anderson directing -- but that was before the strike happened and I'm not sure what the current status is. Based on this commercial, though, I think I'd want to see that movie. You?

Since most people expect don't expect much from video game flicks, it can't come as much as a surprise that the big screen version of Castlevania has already been sent back to the drawing board. Back in 2005, Paul W.S. Anderson had signed on to write and direct, and up until January 2007 he was still committed to the project; promising a spring start date for production. But the lure of Anderson's next project, Death Race, must have been strong, since he dropped Castlevania to work on it full time.

Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Rogue Pictures has hired Ian Jeffers to completely re-work the script and Sylvain White to helm the flick. White was the director behind the straight-to-video horror I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, and the teen dance flick Stomp The Yard. Jeffers is relative newcomer, and Death Sentence was his screen writing debut.

For those not familiar with the best-selling Konami game series, Castlevania focused on The Belmonts, a family sworn to protect the human race from Dracula. The game has evolved over the years, but the producer for the film, Jeremy Bolt, told IGN back in June that the film has "a fair amount of references. We always try to give the fans something that respects their love of the game but also give them something completely new. So we've added a whole new spin to Castlevania". According to Bloody Disgusting, the addition of Jeffers means that Anderson's original script for the project has probably been scrapped -- which might come as a relief to die-hard fans out there. Castlevania is set for release in late 2008.

Sony Pictures has launched the official site for Resident Evil: Extinction. This time around: Alice, our genetically enhanced heroine (Milla Jovovich) is lost in the wastelands of Nevada while fending off the evil plans of the Umbrella Corporation. Joining Jovovich as fellow plague survivors are Heroes' Ali Larter and R&B singer Ashanti. Also returning are Oded Fehr as Carlos Oliviera and Mike Epps as L.J. Last month we had gotten word of a new R trailer for the film and another gallery of photos released to the web. The arrival of a web site might not seem like such a big deal, especially in the current climate of viral fever, but there's plenty of cool content. There are wallpapers, screen savers, and loads of media gallerie, as well as a pretty decent online game -- but be warned; it's armed with one of those age-verification login pages.

Resident Evil: Extinction was directed by Russell Mulcahy; according to this piece over at Movies Online, Paul W.S. Anderson's script has reportedly taken elements from the RE: Code Veronica. Anderson has written his share of video game flicks, including all three of the Resident Evil flicks, and directing the first one back in 2002. There had been some debate over whether Extinction was going to be the last film in the series, but Sony refers to the film as "the third and final installment", so I guess it really is the end for Alice -- I can only hope she will go out in style. Extinction hits theaters September 21st.

[via ComingSoon.net]

Yes, there is more news on Castlevania. Like it or loathe it, the adaptation keeps moving forward! The latest news is that Sylvain White, the guy behind Stomp the Yard, has signed onto to direct the live-action film. This makes things interesting. Is it a good move? Perhaps. White found success with Stomp, but he also helmed Trois 3: The Escort. The guys behind Castlevania seem to be hopeful -- White gets seven-figures for the job, which shoots in South Africa and Romania in the late fall. The script, which was penned by W. S. Anderson, is about the clash between Vlad the Impaler (Dracula, people!) and the Belmont family, who have "unleashed the original vampire" and must fight to defeat him. White says: "Most of the vampire films have been present or set in the future, from Blade to Underworld, and I was attracted by the chance to make a dark, epic period movie that almost has an anime feel to it."

The directorial chair was originally Anderson's, but he stepped down to re-make Death Race 2000. It's just as well, he can't be the name behind every single old-school Nintendo game. Beyond his Castlevania script, he's also got Spy Hunter in pre-production, and I wouldn't be surprised if something like Zelda or Ghost and Goblins followed. My dream is for an interactive Track and Field -- where the movie has you maniacally hitting on those damned little buttons until your fingers blister, just to get your guy across the finish line (unless you had that great controller with the turbo button). If only technology would catch up...

I'm actually fine with this, because who cares about Spy Hunter? Yes, I hung around enough bowling alleys when I was a kid to have played Spy Hunter many times. I remember the oil slick, the smokescreen, and that's pretty much it. It seems almost appropriate that the only person they could find to turn that into a movie is the auteur who brought us Alien vs. Predator and Resident Evil. Variety reports that in addition to directing the re-launched project for Universal, Paul Anderson will also be tackling writing duties along with another scribe. This move comes after many bumps in the road for the property -- among the writers who have already come and gone from Spy Hunter are Zak Penn, Derek Haas, Stuart Beattie and Michael Brandt. Director John Woo was also set to make a Spy Hunter film in 2004, but that deal fell through. The Rock has long been attached to play the lead role in the film, but there's currently no word on whether or not he's still on board.

Up next for Anderson is Death Race, a remake of the 1975 film Death Race 2000, starring Sylvester Stallone as Machine Gun Joe and David Carradine as Frankstein. Jason Stratham is currently attached to that one. Anderson is also attached to direct Man With the Football, a film about a group of terrorists who steal the President's nuclear football -- a briefcase he can use to send nukes wherever. That one actually sounds more promising to me than this Spy Hunter business -- maybe Anderson will be too busy with Spy Hunter and a good director will take over the Football project.

Have you seen the British crime classic The Long Good Friday lately? The film holds up just fine. But this is 2007, and it's getting remade, and by none other than the virtuoso who brought us Mortal Kombat, Soldier and Aliens vs. Predator, which I have to say was one of the most unexpectedly boring films I've ever seen. The original Good Friday was made in 1980 and starred Bob Hoskins as a sort of East End Scarface who becomes the target of a bombing campaign. According to the BBC, filming on the remake will begin in Miami in 2008, but no details on cast have been announced yet. Things appear to be moving quickly, though, so expect it soon.

The chairman of Handmade Films, which is footing the bill, had this to say about the project: "The original was a highly-praised classic and one of Handmade's most prized films, but its reach was limited primarily to the U.K. Following continued interest from the U.S., we realized that this remake could attract audiences worldwide with an updated setting and contemporary overtones." Anderson himself is also quoted in the piece, noting: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to put a new spin on this classic film which promises to reveal today's gritty underworld in equally shocking fashion." Hmm ... haven't you figured out by now that new spins aren't your cup of tea? Nor is providing content that is 'gritty' or 'shocking.' By the way, you may be interested to know that the photo of Bob Hoskins above was snapped immediately after someone told him that one of his finest roles was being shepherded into the next generation by Paul W.S. Anderson.

I've got a few updates for you from recent stories:

• After bringing you word that Paul W. S. Anderson might be leaving the Castlevania adaptation, it turns out that it's a whole bunch of hooey. IGN spoke with the director, and he's still quite attached to the feature. According to Anderson: "Both Death Race and Castlevania are set up at Universal. The studio wants to make both films, but obviously there is a scheduling conflict which we are trying to resolve. I am very passionate about Castlevania and whatever happens I will remain actively involved in my role as writer and producer." So, that's it, folks. You can yay or nay, but either way... Anderson is here to stay!
• A week ago, Scott alerted us to a spicy video up on YouTube that has director David O. Russell going crazy on Lily Tomlin on the I Heart Huckabees set -- it's basically a screaming, adult male temper tantrum. Now some people seem to think that George Clooney is behind it all. While it may sound like a jump, it seems that this clip was originally shown to Hollywood agents last fall, and sources told Radar that Clooney was the man behind it. So, if he was showing people in the fall, could he be the one to do it today? A Clooney rep laughed at the idea, saying that the actor "doesn't know how to put a video on YouTube. He barely knows how to e-mail." Radar's theory: he joined together with Edward Tise, who is working on Leatherheads with the actor, and was also part of the Three Kings crew. It seems like a bit of a stretch to me, since Clooney does what he can to stay out of the tabloid craze, but maybe he took a bullet for irked Russell* actors everywhere. [via FilmIck]

*Thanks to soundboy64 for the catch!

For some, news that Paul W. S. Anderson was going to head the Castlevania movie was comparable to running sharp fingernails down a chalkboard, for others like our Scott Weinberg, it was enough to get the anxious blood pumping. Depending on your excitement level, you might be happy or ticked to find out that the latest rumors say that the director has left the film. According to sources at Dread Central, Anderson is off the project, but they're not sure if he was unhappy with how things were progressing or just impatient. Cinematical has been covering the film since back in 2005, so it sure isn't moving very fast.

For those not familiar with all things Konami, Castlevania is a long-running video game series that pits the vampire-hunting Belmont family against Dracula. Me, I can take the news or leave it. I try not to get too amped about a video game or comic book adaptation unless I really, really like the director attached, like Sam Raimi. What I am more anxious about is the fact that he isn't dropping out of Death Race 3000. Give him Castlevania, but don't let him mess with the likes of Sly's Death Race 2000! (Yeah, I'm much more of a Goonies II fan than a Castlevania fan.) It's not so much a slight against him, but the desire for some crappy goodness to exist free of a re-visiting.

[via Dark Horizons]

My earliest recollections of the Castlevania video game series are of a little guy side-scrolling through a haunted castle, stopping occasionally to whip a skeleton/ghost/vampire and climb a whole lot of staircases. I loved it. And even though I know next to nothing about the later Castlevania games (and there are several), I'm still fairly psyched for Rogue's new big-screen version to hit the scene.

What's that? Castlevania is being written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson? The man who gave us Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator? And Soldier and Event Horizon? Yikes ... Hey wait, I really like Event Horizon! And Resident Evil (PART ONE!) And I certainly don't think that Anderson is as bad a filmmaker as the rantier fanboys seem to think he is. And, to his credit, Mr. Anderson is approaching this Castlevania flick with what I consider to be a very solid perspective. "You could also call this movie Dracula Begins," says Anderson as he practices his fan-friendly sound-bites and settles into direct what could be a fairly fine horror/adventure-type flick. (Just please don't go the PG-13 route. Please.)

For those who've done things other than play video games for the past 16 years, Castlevania "focuses on the duel across the centuries between Dracula and the vampire-hunting Belmont family, played out within Dracula's vast, labyrinthine castle." Yep, the Rogue folks are most definitely thinking "franchise" on this one. Fingers crossed, vamp-fans!

And yes: I called Anderson the "video game movie king." Any five random frames of Resident Evil are better than the complete and collected works of Uwe Boll -- and who else out there makes these movies?

Hey all you Resident Evil fans - yes, all six of you: details have been firmed up for the third installment in the series, and lots of the major figures are coming back. Woo hoo! A talentless hack Paul W.S. Anderson wrote the screenplay (as he did for parts one and two) to be directed by Russell Mulcahy, and queen of all white action chicks Milla Jovovich is back as Alice, which is all that really matters. She'll be wandering from Nevada to Alaska, all the while dodging zombies, lab rats, and "the minions of the perpetually scheming Dr. Isaacs." And, because they apparently aren't getting offered any other jobs, Mike Epps, Oded Fehr, and Iain Glen are all coming back for the adventure. (As an aside, what's the deal with Glen? He's a good actor who's done some interesting stuff, and yet he can't get paid for anything that's not a video game movie.)

Though the title of this one is a rather final-sounding Resident Evil: Extinction, only a fool would assume it's going to be the last installment. I mean, Milla and Anderson broke up, and this one is still being made - if the death of love didn't kill the series off, what could?

We love our geeky older brothers over at Joystiq, but I can't help but read this post, by Blake Snow, and gently suggest that they've been, well, snowed. Blake points to this article in Way I Play which claims that a feature film version of Pong is currently in production. Way I Play "finds" a few hilarious quotes, including this one from alleged Pong: The Movie director Paul W.S. Anderson, the guy behind Mortal Kombat: "“There will be awesome hand to hand combat, I can tell you that much,” blurted Anderson. “If you’ve played PONG, it will be like discovering it for the first time all over again. If you’ve never played PONG, it will be like discovering it twice."" "Anderson" goes on to say that Antonio Banderas has already been casting in the lead ... er, leads. “Antonio Banderas like you’ve never seen him before. He will play both ‘padz,’ as we’re calling them. Brothers separated at birth and trained to eliminate the other. Banderas was the only one I would consider for the job."

Now, things in Hollywood have been so messed up lately, that we could see why the Joystiqers might believe this – after all, that Pacman item from last week hasn't been proven wrong yet. But let me submit two small bits of evidence that may convince you that Pong: The Movie, is not, actually, going to happen. Ever. First off, the Way I Play article quotes statements made in a Variety article ... which, as far I can tell, doesn't actually exist. Somewhat more damning: the fact that the article is clearly filed under "Satire". Sorry boys – it was fun while it lasted, but it looks like you've been pong'd.