asterix Tagged Articles at Cinematical

There are several noteworthy items in the world of comic book moviedom today, but none of them are quite full enough to warrant their own posts and so I've packaged them together neatly for you in the following list.  Enjoy!

• Constantin has secured the rights to the latest title in the popular French comic book Asterix. The current issue is named "Asterix at the Olympic Games."
• The newest rumors today report that the Aquaman film/TV pilot will be titled "Mercy Reef." This runs contrary to earlier reports of "Tempest Key."
• Tokyo's Nikkatsu Studio began shooting it's manga adaptation Death Note at the beginning of this month.
• David Hayter says that while he's got alot on his plate right now, he's most excited for the script for Watchmen , which will indeed move into production sometime this year.
• Some of the X-Cast, including Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Halle Berry, will be returning to Vancouver this week for reshoots.

[via CBR]

Because the world apparently hasn't seen enough of Jean-Claude Van Damme, or perhaps because Hollywood just loves to reward patent mediocrity, beat-em-up guy Jean-Claude Van Damme has not one, not two, but four movies on the boards, two in 2006, and two in 2007.

First up is Second in Command, in which Jean-Claude plays an official appointed, well, second-in-command to the US Ambassador to a tumultuous Eastern European country. There's an attempted coup, the Ambassador is killed, and guess who has to get all bad-ass and save the day? Yup, Jean-Claude. Sounds thrilling, yes?

Next up to bat is The Hard Corps, helmed by frequent Jean-Claude offender Sheldon Lettich, who previously brought us such Jean-Claude gems as Lionheart, Double Impact, and The Order (all also co-written by Jean-Claude). In The Hard Corps, Jean-Claude will play a former combat vet, fresh off fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, who decides to take a break from being a military bad-ass to be a bodyguard to a former Heavyweight Boxing champion, to protect the champ and his family from -- get this -- a Rap Music Mogul. Nevermind the inevitable questions about why a heavyweight boxing champ would need a bodyguard. And I guess the Evil Rap Music Mogul is going to replace Evil <insert Middle Eastern nation> Terrorist as the next legion of bad guys whose asses must be kicked by Jean-Claude, Steven Seagal and Bruce Willis.