Video game publisher Sega recently closed a deal with 20th Century Fox for a series of games based on the super-popular Alien franchise. According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, the video game company, best known for its Sonic the Hedgehog games, is going to begin developing next-gen and PC video games set in the Alien universe -- including a first-person shooter and a multi-player role-playing game.

The games, the first of which is expected to ship in 2008, are not going to be a re-make of any of the Alien films or strictly follow any of the storylines already developed. Instead, according to Mike Gallo, senior producer for the franchise at Sega, the games will provide new stories and experiences derived from the franchise history and mythology. "We'll go out of our way to tie the games into the films in unique ways," he said. "We're also looking at all 'Alien' source material for inspiration, in addition to the films. We may incorporate some characters that fans know and love, and we may let gamers find answers to questions that were left unanswered in the movies."

Also, Sega is currently in talks with franchise stars, including Sigourney Weaver and Lance Henricksen, who will hopefully reprise their respective roles from the films in the video games. Which, of course, would be pretty darn cool and add that all-important authenticity that makes these kinds of games work better. As a fan of the movies and having played some of the games -- especially Alien vs. Predator 2 -- I, for one, can't wait to see what comes out of this deal. Hopefully we'll see a kick-ass high-def Alien game for the XBox 360 in the near future. Now that would be cool. I'm also more than happy to be a beta tester -- so Sega, if you're listening, how about a hook-up?

According to the Gorehound's Bible, Fox has just announced a bunch of release dates -- and they're all for Part 2s. We recently shared with you the news on The Hills Have Eyes 2 (March 2nd, 2007), Alien vs. Predator 2 (December 21st, 2007), and Wrong Turn 2 (release date TBA), but now we also have a debut date for ... 28 Weeks Later!

Yes, that's right, the sequel to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's fantastic sci-fi horror film will be opening on May 11th, 2007, a month that includes such heavy hitters as Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Shrek 3, and the Stephen King adaptation 1408.

The (potentially) bad news is that neither Boyle nor Garland will be involved with the writing and/or directing of the sequel. Both fellas, along with producer Andrew McDonald, are still connected as producers, but we have a new director (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo) and a new screenwriter (Rowan Joffe) on board. Mr. Fresnadillo directed the rather cool Intacto, while Mr. Joffe is the writer of two flicks I've never heard of.

Also coming from Fox's horror division is Turistas (December 1st, 2006), which was helmed by actor-turned-director John Stockwell and stars Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, and the lava-hot Olivia Wilde. (Apparently it has to do with horrific organ harvesting in Brazil!)

Despite the fact that I can't find ONE person who really liked the thing, 2004's Alien vs. Predator grossed just over $80 million at the domestic box office while face-hugging another $90 million from the overseas cinegeeks before selling like goo-coated flapjacks at the video shops. Which means sequel city, of course.

One of the planet's most passionate horror freekz (we call him The Arrow) caught wind of a newly-released plot synopsis for Alien vs. Predator 2, and here's what the logline looks like: "In this follow-up to the worldwide hit (AVP), the iconic monsters from two of the scariest film franchises ever, wage war in an American Midwestern town - with the residents caught in the middle." This synopsis came from the offical Fox website, which means Erik Davis' earlier reports have been confirmed. There will be cows.

So with the Alien and the Predator heading into Leatherface country, it only stands to reason that everyone's favorite skin-lovin' cannibal should get his very own outer space adventure. (Hold on while I go register that synopsis with the WGA.) Alien vs. Predator 2 will be directed by first-timer bro-team Colin & Greg Strause, and written by Shane Salerno, who wrote not only Shaft, but Armageddon too (along with a dozen other guys).

Those gore-lovin' knuckleheads over at Bloody-Disgusting.com spent a few days on the set of Resident Evil: Extinction (surrounded by women like Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory and Ali Larter, those lucky bastards) and while they haven't come back with their full set report (which, frankly, doesn't even interest me all that much), they've gleaned a few choice nuggets from the cast and crew members.

Oded Fehr will be returning for RE3, and he dropped a vague little tidbit regarding a certain looming sequel: "From what I know ... they're writing one that's totally different, in a different time. Brendan (Fraser) and Rachel (Weisz) are in it." Hmph. The Mummy Returns Again? We'll see.

Stopping by to chat with Ms. Larter, the BD.com boys learned that she will not be reprising her role in the upcoming sequel to House on Haunted Hill -- even though she signed on to star in the second sequel to Resident Evil. Oh well, moving on, the gorehounds hit the mother lode when they sat down to chat with producer Jeremy Bolt, a guy who's made a lot of movies with the fanboy-controversial Paul W.S. Anderson. (Anderson directed Mortal Kombat, Event Horizon, Soldier, Resident Evil, and Alien vs. Predator, if you must know.) The partners' next project will be a "less parody, more reality TV" remake of Death Race 2000, an NES-to-celluloid rendition of Castlevania, and a sequel to this movie, which looks so sinfully bad that I can't wait to see it.

This is the kind of news that either breaks your heart or, well, breaks your heart. In an interview with AICN, James Cameron talks up the Alien 5 project he was working on right before Alien vs Predator was announced. Some of you may want to close your eyes for this one...

"Ridley and I talked about doing another Alien film and I said to 20th Century Fox that I would develop a 5th Alien film. I started working on a story, I was working with another writer and Fox came back to me and said, "We've got this really good script for Alien vs Predator and I got pretty upset. I said, "You do that you're going to kill the validity of the franchise in my mind." Because to me, that was Frankenstein meets Werewolf. It was Universal just taking their assets and starting to play them off against each other. So, I stopped work."

Well, that sucks. Apparently, according to Cameron, Alien 5 wasn't the only film he gave up on. "I had a great... great idea with Planet of the Apes, but it was Fox's asset. Even though I was supposedly developing it we didn't see eye to eye and they sort of picked up their marbles and that was that." He goes on to explain that Tim Burton was a bad choice in director and, subsequently, it's the only Burton film he doesn't like.

While I'm sure a Cameron-directed Alien 5 would've been interesting, this Planet of the Apes news is definitely disappointing, to say the least. However, the good news is that Coffin, the project he's partnered with Guillermo del Toro on, is still very much alive, despite its ghostly title. See, there's always a little bit of sunshine on a rainy day. I promise you that much.