Gore Verbinski is on board to remake THE HOST at Universal, per VARIETY. The 2006 Korean thriller directed by Bong Joon-ho broke records in its South Korean theatrical run.

Commercials director Fredrick Bond will be making his feature debut and Mark Poirer will write the script. Verbinski will produce with Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison along with Paul Brooks.

Bolt, the superdog, and his companion Penny are ready to spring into action. The BOLT videogame from Disney Interactive Studios is available at retail stores throughout the United States in time for the film's opening on Friday, November 21. Inspired by the animated comedy adventure of the same name from Walt Disney Animation Studios, BOLT game versions are available for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Windows-based PC.

Writer Colin Trevorrow has been hired by Disney to pen their upcoming action feature PET ROBOTS, per VARIETY.

PET ROBOTS, a graphic novel by Scott Christian Sava, is about four students who get lost on a field trip at a toy company and bond with military robots. The novel was published by Sava's Blue Dream Studios last year. Sava previously worked on SPIDER-MAN, CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, ALIENS VS. PREDATORS and X-MEN as an illustrator, comic book artist, animator and videogame designer.

Activision Publishing is reuniting gamers with some of their favorite DreamWorks Animation characters with the release of the MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA and KUNG FU PANDA: LEGENDARY WARRIORS video games, now available on store shelves.

Universal Pictures beat out three other studios on Sunday for EA's unreleased and unannounced videogame DANTE'S INFERNO (working title), per VARIETY. Set to hit the marketplace next year, the videogame is the second EA title in a week to go to Universal.

ARMY OF TWO was purchased by the studio for Scott Stuber to produce (via EA) and Scott Z. Burns (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM) to write.

Can't wait for the new movie to step into the shoes of James Bond? Activision Publishing's QUANTUM OF SOLACE video game, based on the upcoming QUANTUM OF SOLACE and pre-CASINO ROYALE James Bond films, is dashing into European retail outlets today, and will be available in North American stores on November 4, 2008.

Developed under license from EON Productions and MGM, the QUANTUM OF SOLACE video game equips players with the weapons, espionage and hand-to-hand combat skills and overall charm needed to survive the covert lifestyle of legendary 007 secret agent James Bond.

In an unusually early bidding war, four studios are battling for a new videogame from Electronic Arts -- that hasn't yet been announced publicly, per VARIETY.

About a journey through the depths of hell, sources say the game is likely to be titled DANTE'S INFERNO, and while EA has cleared the title for use, it has not officially titled it. EA and its representation declined to comment Thursday evening.

Activision Publishing's CARNIVAL CRAZE, a brand new addition to its enormously popular videogame franchise based on DreamWorks Animation's SHREK. The game is available now for Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and PC.

This year's EA British Academy Children's Awards will take place on Sunday, November 30, 2008 to celebrate excellence in all art forms of the moving image for children -- in film, television, video games and online.

In animation, CHARLIE AND LOLA, ELIOT KID, SHAUN THE SHEEP and SKUNK FU! are nominated for best animation, and CHARLIE AND LOLA, LITTLE PRINCESS, PEPPA PIG and ROARY THE RACING CAR are nominated for best preschool animation.

DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO!, RATATOUILLE, STARDUST and WALL-E are nominated for best feature film.

Film financier Legendary Pictures is in discussions to acquire Epic Games, the developer of GEARS OF WAR, among others, per VARIETY.

Execs at both companies declined late last week to comment to VARIETY.

If the deal goes through, it would make Legendary the first film financing company to invest directly in videogames. Studios like Warner Bros. (where Legendary is based) have recently started putting their own money into games.