Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy director Gore Verbinski has been engaged by Universal Pictures to direct and produce an adaptation of the video game Bioshock.
Variety reports that this project marks the biggest videogame-to-movie deal since the aborted Halo movie in 2005. Verbinski noted that game’s art deco design and visually arresting characters particularly inspired him to see the game as a film. John Logan (The Aviator, Sweeney Todd) is in talks to write the script.
The X-Box 360-bestseller Bioshock takes place in an underwater city based on the free market principles of Ayn Rand, but things have gone disastrously wrong. Players control a pilot who crash-lands at a secret entrance to the city, called Rapture, and is drawn into a power struggle during which he discovers that his will is not as free as he’d thought. A sequel game could be released before the film comes out sometime in 2009.
LucasArts has finally announced the official release date for the repeatedly delayed Star Wars video game The Force Unleashed.
The anxiously awaited X-Box 360, PS3&PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii title will be released on September 16 in the United States, September 17 in Southeast Asia and Australia, and September 19 in Europe. Exclusive new gameplay footage will be aired during Spike TV’s two-weekend broadcast of all six Star Wars movies this month (you can learn the exact times on StarWars.com).
An entirely new chapter in the Star Wars Saga, The Force Unleashed casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice” and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The game’s expansive story is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist Vader in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi — and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.
Four major Hollywood studios have announced a deal to subsidise the conversion of 10,000 theaters to digital projection systems in order to whet cinema-goer’s appetite for 3-D films. The studios involved are 20th Century Fox, Walt Dinsney Corporation, Paramount and Universal.
The New York Times says: “The motion picture industry is racing to roll out digital projectors, not just because they avoid the costly printing and shipping of reels of film, but also because they’re needed to show the current generation of 3-D films, which have often been bonanzas at the box office. One, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, generated $31 million its opening weekend on only 683 screens, about one-fifth as many as the typical wide release.”
DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation have issued a press release detailing the specifications for the upcoming Batman: Gotham Knight direct-to-DVD anthology movie.
The all-new, original movie will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. The original movie will also be available OnDemand and Pay-per-View as well as available for download on the same day as release date, July 8, 2008.
Click here to read the press release and see three new pictures.
Netflix and Wal-Mart announced their exclusive backing of Blu-Ray last week, and now the high definition format war has officially come to an end with HD DVD pioneer Toshiba conceding defeat.
Toshiba issued a press release today which confirms that the corporation has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders.
‘We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ‘next-generation format war’ and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop,’ said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation.
With the increasing size and affordability of big screen televisions, it’s become pretty obvious that standard definition formats just don’t cut the visual mustard on these new AV behemoths invading our living rooms. What looked perfectly acceptable on your old 28” CRT set can look awful when the limitations of SDTV (Standard Definition TV) are amplified by a monster flat panel.
Namco-Bandai surprised the crowds at this years Consumer Electronics Show by unveiling one of the oddest crossovers in video game history.
Onlookers were treated to a Soul Calibur IV trailer that included Star Wars characters Darth Vader and Yoda together with the series mainstays. Check it out in the following video -
Following a turbulent week in the ongoing next generation DVD format war, word has filtered out from Blu-ray.com that Indy might be heading to Blu-ray.
The site writes - ‘Another interesting tidbit of information is about the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. As we all know, Paramount’s deal does not cover Steven Spielberg films, and so Indy 4 is being prepped for Blu-ray Disc for release sometime late this year.’
Although this sounds like bad news for HD DVD owners, it should be noted that Paramount will almost certainly honour their contract to provide content for the Toshiba and Microsoft format until the end of 2008 at least, so we should also see an HD DVD outing for Doctor Jones.
Following a strong year in 2007 for 3D cinema, it seems that 2008 could herald the beginning of a similar rollout in the home market.
Popular Mechanics reports that the big theme of the Consumer Electronics Show this year was 3-D in the home, with products on display from Samsung and Texas Instruments amongst others.
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) — Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures denied a newspaper report that the studio is poised to follow Time Warner Inc. in abandoning Toshiba Corp.’s HD DVD technology. `Paramount’s current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format,” Brenda Ciccone, a spokeswoman for Paramount, said in an e-mail today.
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The revelation over the weekend that Warner Bros was jumping ship to Blu-ray was bad news for the HD DVD camp but now it looks like Paramount have dealt the final death blow to the floundering next gen DVD format by abandoning it for its rival.
Matrix creators Larry and Andy Wachowski’s racing film has amazement aplenty for eyes and ears. But the pure exhilaration is impeded by cartoon morality.
I am a little leary of the situation. The truth will come out when, and if the US economy, and the dollar begins to strengthen. If prices remain high, you’ll know someone is lying. Either OPEC doesn’t have the supply they claim they have, or Analysts are incorrect when they say demand has decreased. Personally, I don’t buy the claim that demand has decreased. Population is ever increasing, so, the the demand should always be increasing.
Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy director Gore Verbinski has been engaged by Universal Pictures to direct and produce an adaptation of the video game Bioshock.
Four major Hollywood studios have announced a deal to subsidise the conversion of 10,000 theaters to digital projection systems in order to whet cinema-goer’s appetite for 3-D films. The studios involved are 20th Century Fox, Walt Dinsney Corporation, Paramount and Universal. 
DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation have issued a press release detailing the specifications for the upcoming Batman: Gotham Knight direct-to-DVD anthology movie.
Netflix and Wal-Mart announced their exclusive backing of Blu-Ray last week, and now the high definition format war has officially come to an end with HD DVD pioneer Toshiba conceding defeat.
Namco-Bandai surprised the crowds at this years Consumer Electronics Show by unveiling one of the oddest crossovers in video game history.
Following a turbulent week in the ongoing next generation DVD format war, word has filtered out from 
Following a strong year in 2007 for 3D cinema, it seems that 2008 could herald the beginning of a similar rollout in the home market.
UPDATE JUST IN -
I am a little leary of the situation. The truth will come out when, and if the US economy, and the dollar begins to strengthen. If prices remain high, you’ll know someone is lying. Either OPEC doesn’t have the supply they claim they have, or Analysts are incorrect when they say demand has decreased. Personally, I don’t buy the claim that demand has decreased. Population is ever increasing, so, the the demand should always be increasing. 