There's a really neat-sounding small-scale sci-fi project in development at Overture Films called Pandorum. But for the news that Paul W.S. Anderson is involved, I'd be really excited. Pandorum will be about two spaceship crewmen who wake up on their ship with no idea who they are or what they're supposed to be doing. Soon, they "make a discovery that threatens the survival of mankind."

Anderson didn't write and won't be directing the film -- those tasks both fall to relative unknowns -- but he is reteaming with his Resident Evil cohorts to produce it. He's not exactly on my must list these days, since the Resident Evil franchise has pretty much died under his supervision and AvP isn't exactly a venerable addition to the list of ongoing big-name series. Pandorum's premise sounds cool, but then so did Event Horizon's until you actually learned what was going on. In any case, Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster (in a possible rare non-psychopathic role?) have signed on to star as our heroes, which is good news. I guess the big question is what exactly the two of them "discover" on that spaceship.

Pandorum is supposed to start production in August in Berlin, according to the Variety piece; no word on a release date. Sci-fi fans, make a note of it.

While watching television last night (might've been during the college basketball game), I spotted this new Pontiac commercial; one that utilizes the old school Spy Hunter game. Once it ended, my friend and I looked at each other and were like, "Dude, let's check that out again." The commercial starts out on that classic video game screen before transforming into this sort of half real, half CGI realm -- with the Pontiac car as the hero (of course), as well as all our favorite villains from the game (damn that guy with the spikes coming from his wheels).

As far as the actual Spy Hunter movie goes, that thing has been up in the air for, like, ever now. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was supposed to star in the lead role with Paul W.S. Anderson directing -- but that was before the strike happened and I'm not sure what the current status is. Based on this commercial, though, I think I'd want to see that movie. You?

Poor Alice. She keeps waking up wet, naked and alone. When last we saw her, she was escaping from a top-secret medical research facility with four other survivors of a nuclear "accident" that destroyed the fictional Raccoon City. Actually, an evil scientist employed by the multinational Umbrella Corporation allowed the group to leave so he could activate a secret program implanted in dear Alice.

Watching Resident Evil: Extinction, the third installment in a series inspired by the video game, made me wish that I had a secret program implanted in me that would allow me to watch the movie in fast forward mode. Whereas the first installment in the series had a pleasant degree of kooky, claustrophobic atmosphere, and the second (Resident Evil: Apocalypse) had the virtue of non-stop action sequences -- even if the action was often silly and indecipherable visually -- Extinction has no such saving grace.

The first two films also had the benefit of lovely supporting distractions, in the persons of sexy fighting femme butt-kickers Michelle Rodriguez (in the first) and Sienna Guillory (in the second). Alas, Extinction completely wastes Ali Larter, who is reduced to striding around purposefully and acting compassionate as the leader of a group of survivors. This ain't Heroes, folks. Milla Jovovich previously appeared to revel in her unlikely role as Alice, a supremely efficient killing machine, but here she pouts and frowns and labors under the weight of tons of pancake makeup affixed to her face, to what purpose or intent I do not know.

Since most people expect don't expect much from video game flicks, it can't come as much as a surprise that the big screen version of Castlevania has already been sent back to the drawing board. Back in 2005, Paul W.S. Anderson had signed on to write and direct, and up until January 2007 he was still committed to the project; promising a spring start date for production. But the lure of Anderson's next project, Death Race, must have been strong, since he dropped Castlevania to work on it full time.

Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Rogue Pictures has hired Ian Jeffers to completely re-work the script and Sylvain White to helm the flick. White was the director behind the straight-to-video horror I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, and the teen dance flick Stomp The Yard. Jeffers is relative newcomer, and Death Sentence was his screen writing debut.

For those not familiar with the best-selling Konami game series, Castlevania focused on The Belmonts, a family sworn to protect the human race from Dracula. The game has evolved over the years, but the producer for the film, Jeremy Bolt, told IGN back in June that the film has "a fair amount of references. We always try to give the fans something that respects their love of the game but also give them something completely new. So we've added a whole new spin to Castlevania". According to Bloody Disgusting, the addition of Jeffers means that Anderson's original script for the project has probably been scrapped -- which might come as a relief to die-hard fans out there. Castlevania is set for release in late 2008.

Sony Pictures has launched the official site for Resident Evil: Extinction. This time around: Alice, our genetically enhanced heroine (Milla Jovovich) is lost in the wastelands of Nevada while fending off the evil plans of the Umbrella Corporation. Joining Jovovich as fellow plague survivors are Heroes' Ali Larter and R&B singer Ashanti. Also returning are Oded Fehr as Carlos Oliviera and Mike Epps as L.J. Last month we had gotten word of a new R trailer for the film and another gallery of photos released to the web. The arrival of a web site might not seem like such a big deal, especially in the current climate of viral fever, but there's plenty of cool content. There are wallpapers, screen savers, and loads of media gallerie, as well as a pretty decent online game -- but be warned; it's armed with one of those age-verification login pages.

Resident Evil: Extinction was directed by Russell Mulcahy; according to this piece over at Movies Online, Paul W.S. Anderson's script has reportedly taken elements from the RE: Code Veronica. Anderson has written his share of video game flicks, including all three of the Resident Evil flicks, and directing the first one back in 2002. There had been some debate over whether Extinction was going to be the last film in the series, but Sony refers to the film as "the third and final installment", so I guess it really is the end for Alice -- I can only hope she will go out in style. Extinction hits theaters September 21st.

[via ComingSoon.net]

ComicCon is officially over ... or has it just begun?

• MTV caught up with Sam Raimi over the weekend, and (as most of us have done and will continually do until the man either throws a punch or gives up a plot point) hassled him about Spider-Man 4. Has anything changed since the director said he wasn't sure if he'd be helming a fourth installment? Kind of. A meeting has finally taken place between Raimi, Avi Arad and Laurie Ziskin -- they're "beginning to gear up to meet with writers" and Raimi still looks extremely uncomfortable in his own skin. The man still doesn't know if he will direct, but he does "want a hand in bringing it to the screen." As far as which villains will show up, Raimi has some ideas but would like to hear from writers on where they think Spidey should go from here. I say he should go to Iraq and help solve some problems over there, but that's me.
• Dark Horizons caught up with screenwriters Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, Balls of Fury) at The Con, and the boys said they're beginning work on the script to Night at the Museum 2. The duo (who also penned the original) are keeping plot details under wraps, but say "there'll be existing characters and plenty of new ones." Both Ben Stiller and Robin Williams are set to reprise their roles. Man, what I would give to see a Salvador Dali exhibit somehow factor into the equation.
• Director Paul W.S. Anderson was also blabbing to folks over the weekend. He told IGN that Tyrese Gibson and Joan Allen have joined the cast (which already has Jason Statham playing one of the leads) of Death Race 3000; a remake of the 1975 flick starring Sylvester Stallone and David Carradine. Gibson is no stranger to high-speed chases, having also starred in 2 Fast 2 Furious. The film will revolve an ultra-violent futuristic car race in which drivers are awarded points for mowing down innocent pedestrians. Can't wait to see the lawsuits that come from this flick -- "Dude, I seriously hit that guy because I thought I'd get 10,000 points. I'm innocent -- blame the movie!" Says Anderson about the film: "We start shooting in four weeks time in Montreal. Jason Statham's playing Frankenstein and Machine Gun Joe's played by Tyrese Gibson. And Joan Allen is the big villain baddie of the movie, which I'm very excited about. She's gonna kick Statham's ass!"

I'm actually fine with this, because who cares about Spy Hunter? Yes, I hung around enough bowling alleys when I was a kid to have played Spy Hunter many times. I remember the oil slick, the smokescreen, and that's pretty much it. It seems almost appropriate that the only person they could find to turn that into a movie is the auteur who brought us Alien vs. Predator and Resident Evil. Variety reports that in addition to directing the re-launched project for Universal, Paul Anderson will also be tackling writing duties along with another scribe. This move comes after many bumps in the road for the property -- among the writers who have already come and gone from Spy Hunter are Zak Penn, Derek Haas, Stuart Beattie and Michael Brandt. Director John Woo was also set to make a Spy Hunter film in 2004, but that deal fell through. The Rock has long been attached to play the lead role in the film, but there's currently no word on whether or not he's still on board.

Up next for Anderson is Death Race, a remake of the 1975 film Death Race 2000, starring Sylvester Stallone as Machine Gun Joe and David Carradine as Frankstein. Jason Stratham is currently attached to that one. Anderson is also attached to direct Man With the Football, a film about a group of terrorists who steal the President's nuclear football -- a briefcase he can use to send nukes wherever. That one actually sounds more promising to me than this Spy Hunter business -- maybe Anderson will be too busy with Spy Hunter and a good director will take over the Football project.

Have you seen the British crime classic The Long Good Friday lately? The film holds up just fine. But this is 2007, and it's getting remade, and by none other than the virtuoso who brought us Mortal Kombat, Soldier and Aliens vs. Predator, which I have to say was one of the most unexpectedly boring films I've ever seen. The original Good Friday was made in 1980 and starred Bob Hoskins as a sort of East End Scarface who becomes the target of a bombing campaign. According to the BBC, filming on the remake will begin in Miami in 2008, but no details on cast have been announced yet. Things appear to be moving quickly, though, so expect it soon.

The chairman of Handmade Films, which is footing the bill, had this to say about the project: "The original was a highly-praised classic and one of Handmade's most prized films, but its reach was limited primarily to the U.K. Following continued interest from the U.S., we realized that this remake could attract audiences worldwide with an updated setting and contemporary overtones." Anderson himself is also quoted in the piece, noting: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to put a new spin on this classic film which promises to reveal today's gritty underworld in equally shocking fashion." Hmm ... haven't you figured out by now that new spins aren't your cup of tea? Nor is providing content that is 'gritty' or 'shocking.' By the way, you may be interested to know that the photo of Bob Hoskins above was snapped immediately after someone told him that one of his finest roles was being shepherded into the next generation by Paul W.S. Anderson.

... or is it a still from the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles flick? I can't tell. Yes, whether you like it or not, an Alien vs. Predator sequel is on the way -- this one, however, will be rated R for extra special rowdiness. Zing! In this brand new pic (the first to hit the net), our two lovable archenemies are at it again, fighting one another with lasers and ... why are the aliens so tough again? Oh yeah, they have teeth and an abundance of disgusting drool. Sweet.

Original AvP helmer Paul W.S. Anderson has been replaced by visual effects gurus (and brothers) Colin and Greg Strause, who have promised a retro feel and a lot more gory action. Basically, they want you to know that their version of Alien vs. Predator could, hands-down, kick the crap out of the original if the two were ever to engage in battle. Perhaps the third installment could be called AvP vs. AvP 2: Which One Was the Bigger Waste of Time?

AVP Galaxy carried the exclusive pic, as well as some updates from Colin Strause himself who goes into detail as to why the image (pictured above) does not look as good as the final product. I'm up in the air on this one. While I hated the original, and wasn't at all happy with the early script reviews for the sequel, the Strause brothers are said to have revamped the script, pushed hard for an R rating (versus the original's cruddy PG-13 rating) and definitely know what they're doing with regards to special effects. The cast? Eh. Let's just say there's no Sigourney Weaver. AvP 2 hits theaters on December 10.

[via AICN]

My earliest recollections of the Castlevania video game series are of a little guy side-scrolling through a haunted castle, stopping occasionally to whip a skeleton/ghost/vampire and climb a whole lot of staircases. I loved it. And even though I know next to nothing about the later Castlevania games (and there are several), I'm still fairly psyched for Rogue's new big-screen version to hit the scene.

What's that? Castlevania is being written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson? The man who gave us Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator? And Soldier and Event Horizon? Yikes ... Hey wait, I really like Event Horizon! And Resident Evil (PART ONE!) And I certainly don't think that Anderson is as bad a filmmaker as the rantier fanboys seem to think he is. And, to his credit, Mr. Anderson is approaching this Castlevania flick with what I consider to be a very solid perspective. "You could also call this movie Dracula Begins," says Anderson as he practices his fan-friendly sound-bites and settles into direct what could be a fairly fine horror/adventure-type flick. (Just please don't go the PG-13 route. Please.)

For those who've done things other than play video games for the past 16 years, Castlevania "focuses on the duel across the centuries between Dracula and the vampire-hunting Belmont family, played out within Dracula's vast, labyrinthine castle." Yep, the Rogue folks are most definitely thinking "franchise" on this one. Fingers crossed, vamp-fans!

And yes: I called Anderson the "video game movie king." Any five random frames of Resident Evil are better than the complete and collected works of Uwe Boll -- and who else out there makes these movies?

Whether we want it or not, 20th Century Fox is spitting out a sequel to Alien vs. Predator and, yes, you're expected to shut up and like it. Though Paul W.S. Anderson helmed the first film, he will not be returning for another trip to the planet Crapola. Personally, I don't blame him. However, this means there is an empty seat to fill for some poor soul who feels like having their name attached to what's sure to be a gigantic disappointment.

IGN reports via a tipster that Greg and Colin Strause (a/k/a the Brothers Strause) are real close to signing on as directors of the sequel, having already met with producers. The brothers, who dabble in commercials and music videos, are best known for their special effects work (through their company, Hydraulx) on such films as X-Men: The Last Stand,  Fantastic Four and Terminator 3, among others. Keep in mind this is still a rumor, but now that word is out, we should hear something official real soon.

Not long ago, AICN had a script review up for Alien vs. Predator 2. I'd link to it but, since then, Fox forced them to take the review down due to, well, it ripping the story to shreds. If memory serves, pic will take place in Texas after the monsters crash-land there ... or something. Yeah, so instead of huge, glorious space battles, we're going to get a farm and a plethora of cowboy hats. Hopefully Fox took the review to heart and is currently tweaking the heck out the thing.

We love our geeky older brothers over at Joystiq, but I can't help but read this post, by Blake Snow, and gently suggest that they've been, well, snowed. Blake points to this article in Way I Play which claims that a feature film version of Pong is currently in production. Way I Play "finds" a few hilarious quotes, including this one from alleged Pong: The Movie director Paul W.S. Anderson, the guy behind Mortal Kombat: "“There will be awesome hand to hand combat, I can tell you that much,” blurted Anderson. “If you’ve played PONG, it will be like discovering it for the first time all over again. If you’ve never played PONG, it will be like discovering it twice."" "Anderson" goes on to say that Antonio Banderas has already been casting in the lead ... er, leads. “Antonio Banderas like you’ve never seen him before. He will play both ‘padz,’ as we’re calling them. Brothers separated at birth and trained to eliminate the other. Banderas was the only one I would consider for the job."

Now, things in Hollywood have been so messed up lately, that we could see why the Joystiqers might believe this – after all, that Pacman item from last week hasn't been proven wrong yet. But let me submit two small bits of evidence that may convince you that Pong: The Movie, is not, actually, going to happen. Ever. First off, the Way I Play article quotes statements made in a Variety article ... which, as far I can tell, doesn't actually exist. Somewhat more damning: the fact that the article is clearly filed under "Satire". Sorry boys – it was fun while it lasted, but it looks like you've been pong'd.