First Look at Gerard Butler in Lionsgate's Game

Thanks to SlashFilm for unearthing these two new badass photos. At least we've finally got something good to look at while we wait for Lionsgate to actually release a trailer! Excited yet?

In the not too distant future, Kabel (Gerard Butler), a death row inmate, has unwittingly become a pop culture hero. Every week, millions worldwide tune in online to watch him and hundreds of other convicts battle in Slayers, an ultra-violent multi-player online game invented by technological genius Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). To the wealthy young gamer who controls his every move, Kable is just a sim character. To the resistance group that opposes Castle's games as high-tech slavery, he is a critical element in their battle to take down the inventor. Caught in the crosshairs of two opposing forces and under the command of a teenager's remote device, Kable must use his extraordinary fighting skills to escape the game, bring down Castle and overthrow the system.

Game is both written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the two genius filmmakers behind Crank and the upcoming Crank 2: High Voltage and Jonah Hex. The film was produced by Lakeshore Entertainment and is being distributed by Lionsgate. Game currently does not have an official release date set, but should arrive sometime in 2008.

'Grand Theft Auto IV' sets record

"Grand Theft Auto IV" has surged past "Halo 3" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" to set the record for the biggest opening week of any entertainment product.

Publisher Take-Two Interactive is set to confirm today that "Grand Theft Auto IV," from its Rockstar Games label, sold over six million units in its first week, grossing over $500 million in consumer sales.

The previous videogame record holder was Microsoft's "Halo 3," which grossed about $300 million in its first week. That game did have the disadvantage of being available for only the Xbox 360, while "GTA IV" is also available for Sony's Playstation 3.

"GTA IV" sold approximately 3.6 million units, worth $310 million, on its opening day April 29. Microsoft didn't release worldwide sales figures for "Halo 3," though it did reveal that the game grossed $170 million in the U.S. alone.

Comparisons to films are dicey since videogames cost significantly more and don't move through multiple windows, but it's notable that "GTA IV" took in significantly more than the $404 million that record holder "Pirates 3" grossed in its first six days worldwide last summer.

The $500 million-plus figure is even higher than the $400 million that sources close to Take-Two had been expecting based on retailer orders several weeks ago. (Daily Variety, April 16)

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Based on early perf and the universally positive reviews the game has received, "GTA IV" has a very good shot at beating the sales figures of previous franchise entry "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," which sold a boffo 21.5 million units, one of the highest totals ever for a videogame.

"'Grand Theft Auto IV's' first week performance represents the largest launch in the history of interactive entertainment, and we believe the retail sales levels surpass any movie or music launch to date," Take-Two executive chairman Strauss Zelnick said in a statement.

Success comes at a good time for Zelnick and his management team, as they try to fend off a hostile takeover attempt by Electronic Arts. Given the huge expectations for "GTA IV" that were already built into the publisher's stock, however, it's not clear if the early sales figures will boost its share price.

Source:Variety

Wolfgang Petersen No Longer Directing Ender's Game

Somehow we missed the original announcement for this project, but here's a recap. German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen was originally set to direct an adaptation of Orson Scott Card's sci-fi novel Ender's Game. Now word comes from io9 that Petersen is no longer attached the project and that it's currently seeking a new director. Originally slated to be released this year, the project is now hoping to shoot by early 2009 as long as they find a new director and suitable cast. I'm not too familiar with Ender's Game, but after reading into it a bit more, I'm ashamed to have missed this the first time around!

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is humanity's last hope. He doesn't know it, but he will have to prevent and counter-attack an extra-terrestrial species called the Formic, or "Buggers" informally. After a fight with a bully, he gets drafted into Battle School, where the best of the best wind up to become highly trained combatants. Ender faces many challenges in this school, makes friends and enemies, and must learn to survive alone in order to save earth, but he's also in danger of losing his sanity throughout the entire story. This is Ender's Game. The first book is actually part of a series written by Orson Scott Card. You can pick them up on Amazon.com.

Despite Petersen is no longer directing, the series' author Orson Scott Card is still writing the script. He's already finished a draft and is "already working to make it even better," according to producer Lynn Hendee. They're also looking for someone to cast as Ender, but haven't settled on anyone because they're waiting for the new director. "We all have our favorites, but it is crucial for the new director to weigh in on that." And of course, the earlier the better, because this isn't going to be a low budget sci-fi flick. "Ender's Game requires an extended pre-production due to the many visual effects."

Wolfgang Petersen has directed films like Poseidon, Troy, The Perfect Storm, Air Force One, Enemy Mine, and Das Boot previously. He actually didn't seem like a bad choice, but now the search is on to find someone else. The only problem - let's hope they find someone who can direct a big-budget summer blockbuster on the scale of those films from Petersen's past. I do think this could become an awesome sci-fi film in the end and I hope it keeps moving forward! There's a lot to look forward to with this and I really hope they don't screw it up - although it sounds like Lynn and Chartoff Productions has it under control.