Category: Visual Effects

Collision Ent. and Firm Films have teamed up to turn videogame MAX PAYNE into a feature film for 20th Century Fox, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Collision Scott Faye and Firm Films topper Julie Yorn are producing with Abandon Ent.s Karen Lauder serving as exec produce. Fox exec Robbie Brenner will shepherd the film for the studio.

The WAR OF THE WORLDS graphic novel from Best Sellers Illustrated is in development for television by producer Richard G. Murphy.

"This is an entirely fresh take on WAR OF THE WORLDS, which focuses on how a diverse group of New Yorkers fights back against the Martians," said Murphy, whose credits include UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN and TIMECOP.

As the initial part of its greater 64-bit plan, Alias is shipping mental ray Standalone 3.4 64-bit, which is fully compatible with the Maya 6.5 software. The 64-bit software offers faster processing times, and the ability to create and accurately render more complex scenes and images for film, games, broadcast, digital publishing and design visualization.

Twentieth Century Fox and Canal Plus will co-finance BABYLON A.D., a big-budget futuristic thriller to be directed and written by GOTHIKA helmer Mathieu Kassovitz, reports VARIETY.

Inspired by Maurice Dantec novel BABYLON BABIES, tale is set in the near future where genetic manipulation occurs. In the book, a mercenary charged with bringing a young woman from Russia to Canada learns that she has been infected with a synthetic virus, which could wipe out all humans on Earth.

MTV Films has acquired the film rights to VALIANT, a teen novel about fairies by THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES author Holly Black, according to the trades. Chuck Roven and Alex Gartner will produce through their Mosaic Media Group in conjunction with MTV Films. Paramount Pictures will distribute.

Published by Simon and Schuster on June 1, the book follows on a 17-year-old runaway who joins a group of squatters living in the New York subways. She soon discovers that her new friends hold the dark secret that many New Yorkers are actually a species of fairy.

Marvel Enterprises and 20th Century Fox have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Revolution Studios and Sony Pictures Ent. over the production of sci-fi comedy ZOOM, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The case claims that the film, which stars Tim Allen and Chevy Chase and is based on Jason Lethcoe's graphic novel ZOOM'S ACADEMY FOR THE SUPER GIFTED, copies too much of the X-MEN mythology.

The lawsuit filed June 20, 2005, in U.S. District Court, Central District of California is seeking injunctive relief and monetary damages.

BUFFY star Sarah Michelle Gellar and director Marcus Nispel (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE remake) have signed on for the film adaptation of American McGees videogame ALICE for Universal Pictures, reports VARIETY. Collision Ent. originally secured the rights to the game, which then when to joint venture partner Dimension after their partnership was ended. Dimension shopped the project, which landed at Universal. Electronic Arts is the publisher of the game.

To honor the artistry of director George Lucas, AFI's 33rd Life Achievement Award recipient, AFI Silver Theatre will present a special tribute to George Lucas hosted by the Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore, Her Excellency Chan Heng Chee, on June 29, 2005, in Silver Spring, Maryland.