A Hitchcock-style thriller from Jeff Miller, PLAYING JOE, has been optioned by Castle Rock, VARIETY reports.

Change always accompanies the new year. And The Anime Beat is no different. That's right folks, I'm continuously expanding this little dog and pony show!

Twentieth Century Fox has hired Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the team behind ZOMBIELAND, to write the screenplay for the X-MEN spinoff DEADPOOL, VARIETY reports.

It was announced today that three-time Grammy Award winner and internationally renowned singer, songwriter, producer and designer Pharrell Williams will write original music for Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s upcoming 3-D CGI feature Despicable Me.

The Annie Awards will take place on Saturday, February 6, 2010, at UCLA's Royce Hall, in Los Angeles, California. General Admission tickets are $25. Award Ceremony starts at 7:00 p.m.

ASIFA-Hollywood member VIP tickets are $150, and non-member VIP tickets are $250. (VIP tickets include: Champagne Reception at 5:00 p.m., Ceremony at 7:00 p.m. and Post Award Party immediately following the ceremony)

Click here to order tickets.

Presented by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, the 37th Annual Annie Awards will be held on Saturday, February 6, 2010, at UCLA's Royce Hall, in Los Angeles, California. The award ceremony will also be webcasted on www.annieawards.org at a later date.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archives, Library and Museum.

Mark Pellington has been hired by New Line to direct ORPHANAGE, the remake of the Spanish-language ghost tale EL ORFANATO, VARIETY reports.

The prequel to THE THING, a remake of John Carpenter's classic, is expected to begin filming in March in Toronto, COMINGSOON.NET reports.

Ghostbusters 3 is finally gearing up to begin production next summer with a release expected in 2011, according to SHOCKTILLYOUDROP.COM.

Peter Morgan (FROST/NIXON, THE QUEEN) told MI6 that James Bond 23 will be a "shocking story." Morgan has been working on the first draft of the screen play from July until October of this year, but said he couldn't give anyway anything further.

Now with Bryan Singer at the helm, X-MEN ORIGINS: FIRST CLASS has a new writer in Jamie Moss, according to the Heat Vision blog.