So it looks like it's not just the big productions that are now DOA thanks to the writer's strike; it's hitting some of the 'the little guys' too. Variety reports the next two features that have been put on hold are the big-screen adaptations of Castlevania and the period action flick, Ironbow: The Legend of William Tell.

First up was Castlevania, which had been struggling to make it to production. This might not be the worst thing in the world when you consider the script problems the film was having in the first place; it was probably in serious need of some tweaking. Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard) had been signed to direct and the film was due to start shooting in South Africa this April. Rogue Pictures had hoped that Castlevania would have been the start of a new franchise for the studio. Rather than waste the $40 million budget, Rogue decided to focus on some of their other projects that were slotted for 2008 that were ready for production. Instead, Rogue is going to work on the remakes of Near Dark and The Last House on The Left.

Hopefully Spyglass, who was behind the action adventure story Ironbow: The Legend of William Tell, also has another project ready to occupy these long lazy strike days. Ironbow was written by Count of Monte Cristo scribe, Jay Wolpert. Director Kevin Reynolds (Tristan and Isolde) had just been signed and the film was ready to begin casting. But, the need for some re-writes to the story of the 15th-century Swiss crossbow legend William Tell who returns home to lead his people to independence (and maybe some fruit target practice) has put the film on hold for now. Well, at least these two films are in good company as 'victims' of the strike, along with Angels and Demons, Shantaram and Pinkville. So if the strike doesn't end soon, I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot more of these kinds of announcements in the near future.

She's come a long way since playing daughter to Gérard Depardieu and Steven Seagal. Now Katherine Heigl is a full-blown movie star, thanks in part to her recent role in Knocked Up and soon to be confirmed with the rom-com 27 Dresses. So, now that she's a movie star she needs that thing that all movie stars have these days: her own production company. And now she's got one, which she co-founded with her mother/manager, Nancy Heigl. Apparently, it either hasn't been named yet or it wasn't revealed to The Hollywood Reporter, but the company does have an inaugural project lined up. But it doesn't have a name either. And its plot is -- big surprise -- top secret. All that is known about it is that it's an action-comedy, it was set up at Fox 2000, and Spyglass Entertainment (Evan Almighty) and Nash Entertainment (TV's Who Wants to Be a Superhero?) are co-producing.

It was Nash's Bob Kosberg (producer of Deep Blue Sea) and his former writing partner David Simon (In the Mood) who pitched the idea to Heigl, who will star as well as produce. The duo, who I'm imagining as being like Richard E. Grant and Dean Stockwell in The Player, actually approached the actress -- after pitching to her agent, of course -- during a Knocked Up press junket, where Heigl must have initially thought the guys were journalists (I expect some junket-attending blogger to attempt this plan of action now). From there the Heigls decided to start their own company and made a deal with Fox 2000 and Spyglass, the makers of 27 Dresses. It all seems so easy. While I can't imagine the actress being an action star, I'm curious to find out more about the project. It may be awhile, though, as the movie is still in the writer-search stage.