After an excellent showing at E3 this year (The Division blew minds!), French videogame publisher Ubisoft plans to set up three more film adaptations of its gaming franchises. According to Variety, those properties are Rabbids, Far Cry and the upcoming Watch Dogs. This follows the other three game adaptations that are currently in the Warner Bros. pipeline: Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon.
We’re still waiting on a great videogame film adaptation (Silent Hill was just okay), but at least Ubisoft is giving it a good crack.
Jackie Chan is writing a Jackie Chan Musical
Comedy Fu action star Jackie Chan is currently working on a musical stage production about his life, based on his best-selling memoir I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action. This comes from The Hollywood Reporter, saying the production will chronicle the lives of his parents, his early education at the Peking Opera School and his rise to stardom through music.
Casting News and other Movie things
Liked G.I. Joe: Retaliation? We did, so we’re glad to hear another one is in the works. (via Deadline)
Rumour has it that Han and Leia’s twin son and daughter will be the protagonists of Star Wars: Episode 7. (via Collider)
Ray Liotta has joined producer Martin Scorsese’s Revenge of the Green Dragons, directed by Andrew Lau. Lau’s lauded Infernal Affairs was remade in the form of Scorsese’s Oscar-winning The Departed. Neat piece of trivia for you. (via Deadline)
Lastly, this is the Yahoo!-exclusive trailer to In A World… and it looks awesome.
5 International Guests coming to NZIFF
Having already proved their awesomeness by bringing Goblin to The Civic, the New Zealand International Film Festival today announced five further international guests to attend the Festival, along with a returning New Zealand filmmaker.
Denmark-based New Zealand director Daniel Borgman will attend the NZIFF screenings of his feature film The Weight of Elephants. The film premiered at the Berlinale in February and opened on general release in Denmark last week. The film tells the story of 11 year-old Adrian whose world is thrown into turmoil when three children in his small town disappear.
Australian filmmakers Director Kim Mordaunt, Producer Sylvia Wilczynski and Executive Producer Bridget Ikin will be in New Zealand with their award-winning The Rocket. Mordaunt and Wilczynski will introduce Auckland and Wellington screenings.
Director Sean Baker, from the USA, will visit both Auckland and Wellington with his film Starlet about the unlikely friendship between an old and a young woman.
Maureen Gosling, co-Director of This Ain’t No Mouse Music!, will attend the Auckland and Wellington screenings of her film. The documentary tells the story of Chris Strachwitz, the guiding force behind legendary roots label Arhoolie Records.
The Festival has already announced American pro-snowboarder Kevin Pearce will attend the Auckland screenings of The Crash Reel.
For festival updates, visit www.nziff.co.nz.
