NEWS UPDATE : Assassin's Creed, Hunger Games Sequels, Ghostbusters 3 and Anthony Hopkins

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  After the fan-upsetting dificulties that Ubisoft encountered on the videogame adaptation "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" and the repeated negotiation breakdowns with the big Hollywood studios, they decided to finance their future movies independently. As a direct consequence of this decision, the big-screen version of the acclaimed "Assassin's Creed" franchise is finally moving forward. Not only that, but Michael Fassbender ("Prometheus", "Shame") will star in and co-produce the movie. If all goes well, we might actually get the first ever good/great videogame adaptation.



"The Hunger Games", based on Suzanne Collins' trilogy of novels, is certainly one of the big hits of 2012, reason enough for Lionsgate to move quickly on the sequels. Not only that, but the studio has already announced the release dates for all the sequels. The second installment, called "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is set for release on November 22, 2013 and will be directed by Francis Lawrence ("Constantine", "I Am Legend"). The third of the novels will become two separate movies : "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" and will be released in theaters on November 21st, 2014 and November 20th, 2015 respectively. It is unknown at this time if Lawrence will also direct the final two movies. And, Lionsgate has officially confirmed that Philip Seymour Hoffman was offered and has accepted the role of Plutarch Heavensbee and Jena Malone will play Joanna Mason in "Catching Fire". Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson will reprise their roles.


• I did not believe Dan Aykroyd when he stated last week that they're looking for a new team of writers for "Ghostbusters 3" and that the project is definitely moving forward. I was wrong. It seems that "Men in Black 3" screenwriter Etan Cohen has been hired to rewrite an already existing script written by Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky ("Bad Teacher"). We'll see how thing evolve, but I'm still skeptical about this sequel.


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  Anthony Hopkins has joined Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic "Noah". Hopkins will be playing Methuselah, Noah's grandfather, who was no less than 969 years old at the time of his death, seven days before the flood. As previously reported, "Noah" stars Russel Crowe, as the titular character, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Douglas Booth.

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