Well, either John McTiernan took a pass on the offer or AICN had their collective legs pulled when news came that Die Hard helmer McTiernan was in talks to direct the Conan the Barbarian update for Millennium Films. Dark Horizons has now reported that French director Xavier Gens told film site Le Film Francais.com that he was in line to direct the fantasy update. After the drawn-out battle for the rights to re-make the 1982 film, it seems like the production is still having a little trouble finding a director or a star. Although AICN did name Gerard Butler as one of the contenders for the role (I guess he has plenty of experience in a loincloth already). Gens is probably best known as the director for the video game flick Hitman -- which might not be the best calling card if you take the cringe-worthy score of 13% on Rotten Tomatoes as any indication of the man's abilities.

Gens entrance into the Hollywood blockbuster scene probably didn't quite work out as he had hoped. First, there were rumors that there were arguments with the studio over Hitman's rating, and then finally there was talk that Gens had been pulled from the project altogether. There was some PR back-pedaling surrounding the problems with Hitman, but even if the rumors weren't completely true, it could not have helped his reputation. But since Gen's involvement in Conan is still a rumor at this point, fans probably shouldn't get too worried just yet. Let's just wait until we hear something a little more official. Conan the Barbarian is scheduled for release in 2009.

Just a few days ago I shared a report from Twitchfilm, and in that report it was stated that Fox was planning to "tame" their video game adaptation Hitman. Further, we also heard that director Xavier Gens had been removed from the editing process. Well, either the earlier reports were false or there's been a change of mind over at Fox, because the Hollywood Reporter blog has an update for us...

"A source close to the project and a Fox rep both confirmed that director Xavier Gens is still on board, and the movie will absolutely come out with an R rating. Sources say it will most likely be a "hard R," in fact," is what we're being told. Twitchfilm responds with much skepticism: "If Gens is still in control why was an outside 'consultant' brought in to go over the edit of the film at all, and which of the two actually has more power considering that Gens is currently not even on this continent while [ film editor Nicholas] De Toth is working away?"

So here's what I'm guessing, not that any of this matters one whit: The R rating was always a certainty, but Fox probably had other "creative differences" with their young director. All I care about is this: Does Hitman kick ass? The early marketing push is certainly slick enough, but I've been burned on enough video game movies by now. Guess we'll find out what's up when the flick hits on November 21.

It's a good thing we really trust the guys at Twitchfilm, because I'd hate to be sharing this report if it wasn't accurate. But according to Twitchmaster Todd Brown, it looks like Fox has removed director Xavier Gens from post-production on Hitman. Why? Because his preferred cut of the film was (get this) too violent! Really? Wow. See, here's how I know Hollywood is a lunatic bin: Whomever hired Mr. Gens for this job had to know two things:

1. The director's first film -- Frontiere(s) -- is so amazingly and powerfully violent that it almost becomes parody.

2. The video game? You know, the one that this new Hitman movie is BASED ON? It's a pretty damn violent game. Like, really violent.

But reports indicate that the producers want a PG-13 flick to sell to the kids. So out come the hired scissors and out goes a young Frenchman who probably didn't know what hit him. As far as the movie goes, us grown-up action-lovers will undoubtedly have to wait for the Unrated Director's Cut DVD to see the flick Mr. Gens intended. (Because studios will gladly admit their earlier mistakes, but only when there are extra DVDs to sell.)

So you know what? That's what I'll do. If Hitman comes out as a PG-13 flick, I'll simply skip the theatrical release and rent the DVD in a few months. Fox pulled the exact same hedge-betting with Live Free or Die Hard earlier this year (unrated DVD coming soon!), and I daresay it's getting a little annoying. At this point an action film's theatrical release feels more like a 90-minute advertisement for the "big boy" DVD version.

I mean, really. Remember this story once you get to see Frontiere(s). You won't believe they hired THIS director if the original goal was a PG-13 movie.

After Haute Tension hit the scene and caused a little bit of buzz (if very little attention from the U.S. box office), it only seemed to be a matter of time before a few new freaky French horror flicks would rear their unseemly heads. And here's one of 'em: A patently over-the-top piece of gore-drenched survival horror called Frontiere(s). The debut from writer/director Xavier Gens (who also has a studio flick called Hitman on the way), Frontieres feels like half Texas Chainsaw Massacre and half Hostel, with some liberal dashes of Haute Tension (and even a little bit of The Descent) tossed in to keep things juicy.

We open in the near-future, and France is suffering through a socio-political firestorm. A "right-wing" police state is in effect, and as we settle into the story we're introduced to five criminals on the run: Four hateful men and one pregnant woman. (Guess who's the hero(ine).) After one of the gang members drops dead in a hospital, the remaining quartet splits up and makes plans to meet up at an isolated hotel on the French border. To say these idiots choose the wrong hotel would be a stunning example of understatement.

Without giving too much away, I can tell you that the hotel is run by an extended family of Nazi cannibal mega-freaks. And needless to say, they're not very nice. Once both cars arrive on the scene, the cat & mouse carnage can begin in full force. A few of our anti-heroes are dispatched in decidedly unpleasant fashion, but of course we're not suffering through all this slaughterhouse insanity with no promise of catharsis on the horizon. Plot-wise, it's all very familiar and frequently quite predictable -- but boring? Absolutely not.

Just when you thought the big screen version of Eidos Interactive's Hitman was finally on its way, you'll have to wait a little longer. IGN is reporting that 20th Century Fox has pushed the flick's release date back just a little. The first teaser trailer premiered back in June and there's already been some glimpses at photos and poster art for the film ... everything seemed to be on track. Directed by Xavier Gens, this is his first Hollywood film and the script was written by Skip Woods (Swordfish). Timothy Olyphant stars as the elusive killing machine Agent 47: A genetically engineered assassin trying to unravel his past while bringing down the bad guy (Dougray Scott) and aiding a damsel in distress (Olga Kurylenko).

Originally the film was set for release on October 12, which would have slated the film to open against Elizabeth: The Golden Age with Cate Blanchett and Kenneth Branagh's Sleuth update -- neither of which was really in direct competition, so a lack of studio confidence probably was not behind the switch. Hitman will now open closer to Thanksgiving, on November 21, the same weekend as Frank Darabont's The Mist, which in my mind might present more of a challenge for Agent 47 in a competition for audiences. But there's plenty of box-office to go around during a holiday weekend, so Fox is probably hoping to cash in on that fact. IGN reports that Fox should be making an official announcement later this week, so I hope this is the last delay for the film before it hits theaters this November.

Just a few weeks after the launch of a teaser trailer for the video game flick Hitman, Twitch has a look at a new French poster for the film (there are also a few stills, but it doesn't look like anything we haven't seen already). The film version of the best-selling Eidos Interactive game is the first English-language feature for director Xavier Gens, and the script was written by Swordfish scribe Skip Woods -- but I will try not to hold that against the movie. Back in January, when Deadwood's Timothy Olyphant was confirmed as Agent 47, I wasn't sure he was the right choice for the part. But, after catching the trailer, I will admit he's a pretty good match -- and the Ava Maria was a nice touch. Olyphant stars as the precise and genetically engineered assassin, Agent 47, who is caught up in political intrigue in a chase across Europe -- with plenty of killing along the way. Rounding out the cast is Dougray Scott, Robert Knepper, and Olga Kurylenko.

Now, I never quite managed to get though the 2nd game back in 2002; since it turns out I am not as adept at systematic murder as I thought. But, I definitely gave it points for the "creative' violence and cinematic visuals of exotic locations; both of which are a pretty solid foundation for any good action movie. The production took its time to get rolling, and fans probably remember the seemingly endless stream of conflicting casting reports before Olyphant finally scored the part. Despite Hitman's slow start, the film hasn't wasted any time since; the production began shooting last March, and is already slated for release on October 17.