When you consider that the big-screen adaptation of Solomon Kane only just found a lead a little over a month ago, the producers certainly seem to be wasting no time in getting the film in gear. The Movie Blog now has a first look at the teaser poster for the action-adventure flick. The film is based on the adventure series of the same name by Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E. Howard about a cursed 16th Century swordsman. Back in October, Rome's James Purefoy had signed to star as Kane, an immortal swordsman who is forced out of 'retirement' for an all-out battle between good and evil. In the stories Kane was described as "a somber and gloomy man of pale face and cold eyes, all of it shadowed by a slouch hat". One look at this poster and you can see that Purefoy is an excellent choice.

The first appearance of Kane was in back 1928 in the magazine Weird Tales. Over the years, the character has appeared in over 13 stories and was even the subject of a 1976 Marvel Comic. A lot has changed since 1928, and some of the text has become the subject of criticism over its shall we say 'antiquated' views on race and women -- you know you're in trouble when you describe African tribesmen as, 'closer to mankind's beast ancestors'. Then again, it was written in 1928, so what are you going to do? I guess we will just have to hope that Michael J Bassett (writer and director for the film) has some serious re-writes in mind. Solomon Kane is set for release in 2008.

Check out the full-size poster after the jump ...

Having reached my saturation point for gossip about Angelina Jolie's adoption habits some time ago, it's kind of a relief to read some news that doesn't focus on her personal life. Last month, Matt shared word that Jolie had signed to star in the big screen version of Wanted. Now, The Chicago Tribune reports that Jolie is in Chicago doing some preliminary work on the film, although exactly what kind of work isn't really known yet; all we know is that she's testing out Dodge Vipers. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch / Day Watch), the story of Wanted is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Mark Millar and J.G Jones. The plot centers on a young man (James McAvoy), who discovers after his father's murder that the old man was a member of an elite group of assassins.

Morgan Freeman will also star as one of the founding members of the group and Jolie will act as McAvoy's mentor while they break him into the family business. Her character has been described as 'Catwoman-like,' although she's apparently more of a villain than Catwoman. Most of the film is being shot in Prague, but Jolie will be due back in Chicago later this summer to shoot some of the action sequences. Already, gossip hounds are salivating over the prospect of Jolie bringing the whole family to the set when production starts -- remember the good old days when she used to be just an actress and not a tabloid staple? Wanted is currently penciled in for a March 28, 2008 release, so stay tuned to Cinematical for updates.