While the Halo flick seemed dead in the water, Beattie went on about how Halo was "our generation's Star Wars" and even wrote a spec screenplay based on the Eric Nylund's book, Halo: The Fall of Reach.

"I turned in a draft, but there was no one [i.e. a studio] to turn a draft to," the writer says in a recent interview. " Microsoft needs to be a powerful filmmaker to give us those keys. I'm talking to powerful filmmakers to get them interested, because I think that would be a fantastic film." (Steven Spielberg, anyone?)

Beattie has also cut his teeth on the Gears of War script as well as the one for the now-on-ice Spy Hunter flick.

"I think Warner Bros. bought all the Midway games," Beattie says. "I worked a script very hard with Dwayne Johnson. I loved that script. I hope one day they can make it. It's going to take a pretty big filmmaker. It's a big summer movie. It's a car that changes into all sorts of stuff. It has three great car chase in all parts of the world. I would like to see it done one day. Maybe they'll let me do it one day if it's still around, but it's looking for a filmmaker."

Beattie is gearing up for his directorial debut Tomorrow, When The War Began, based on the best-selling series of books by author John Marsden. If that works out, he'll be a bankable filmmaker. He can make it!

Exclusive Interview: SCREENWRITER STUART BEATTIE TOYS WITH 'G.I. JOE' FOR THE BIG SCREEN [iFMagazine.com]

On Castelvania:

We still want to make the movie, but I can’t say we’re going into production in January or anything like that. It’s a project that everybody likes. I love the videogame. I think the script is really strong. Everyone is really enthusiastic about it, but we’re still in the process of deciding when the movie gets shot.

If it was so great, Paul, "now" would be the time the movie gets shot. Pleasantries can't mask the fact the movie is, for now at least, going nowhere.

And on Spyhunter, he says the script "wasn't strong enough", so he's removed himself from the project. Without a producer attached, that movie is not only going nowhere, it's going nowhere fast.

Castlevania in Limbo [IGN Movies, via MTV] [Image]

I’m writing an adaptation of The Long Good Friday right now, set in present-day Miami. Then I will probably write Resident Evil 4.

While Anderson wrote and directed the first RE flick, he only penned the second and the third ones. Makes sense he'd be back for the fourth one.

Milla Jovovich and hubby’s baby hopes [Sunday Sun via Bloody Disgusting, Dtoid]

Exclusive: Spy Hunter Takes A Backseat [Latino Review]

Thanks, Josh!

Love him or hate him, Variety is reporting that Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson, has been confirmed to be co-writing and directing the upcoming Universal Studios backed Spy Hunter film. The film, which has experienced repeated set backs in the past, was originally set to star The Rock but it's not known whether he will be involved in this current iteration.

I really don't know how to feel about this. There seems to be quite a large margin of suck factor. But, what the hell do I know, I actually kinda liked the Resident Evil movie. Granted, it's in the same way I like Showgirls and Starship Troopers, but that's another story for another day... Flynn De Marco

Universal restarts 'Spy Hunter' [Variety]
[via Gamespot]

Pro wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was previously slated to appear as the movie version's titular spy and starred in the Midway game Spy Hunter: Nowhere To Run, a title originally planned to coincide with the theatrical release. It's unknown if Johnson, who really nailed his role in Doom as a guy who shoots stuff, is still attached to the project.

Anderson, mostly famous for the Resident Evil and Aliens vs. Predator flicks, is also hard at work ruining/remaking Death Race 2000. No word from Variety on whether these projects will interfere with his work on the Castlevania film.

We can always hope. Michael McWhertor

Universal restarts 'Spy Hunter' [Variety via Gamespot]

The Uwe Boll of actors Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson gave insights on the upcoming Spy Hunter flick. Penned by hot scribe Stuart Beattie, Dwayne says the film is "well-written" and "not complicated." (That's Hollywood talk for "It has lots of 'splosions.")

For those worried about a cruddy Spy Hunter movie, Dwayne, who starred in last year's campy Doom adaptation, offers these insights: "A lot of times the successful videogame doesn't always equate to a successful movie," and it "all comes down to the writing."

Woah. Dwayne is a genius.

The former wrestler also did all the motion capture for the upcoming PS2 and Xbox game Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run, while the the Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run flim is slated to reach the silver screen next summer. The cinematic adaptation should be interesting. (That's snark talk for "This movie's gonna suck".) Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Eurogamer]

Gamespot got their hands on some new screens of Midway's upcoming titles, including Spy Hunter: Nowhere To Run, before the official Midway Gamers Day, which hits next week. Other notable titles with screenshots and movies include the Rush franchise's bow on PSP, with requisite car-pimping, mission-completing, and hip hop-listening, as well as the next iterations of Rampage and MLB Slugfest.

Gamespot @ Midway
The Rock to Star in Spy Hunter Movie and Game in 06