Joe Wright Circles Houdini Biopic

Director Joe Wright (Hanna, Atonement) is now in talks to adapt Lionsgate-Summit's The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero, based on the controversial biography by William Kalush and Larry Sloman.

The book, which was published by Atria Books in 2006, insinuated that the escape artist Harry Houdini was in fact a secret service agent for Britain and America. The studio picked up the movie rights back in 2009 with the aim of creating an action thriller depicting Houdini as part Indiana Jones and part Sherlock Holmes.

The Hunger Games' Gary Ross was previously attached to helm the project, however, the filmmaker has since moved on to his Peter Pan project Peter and the Starcatchers.

Via the L.A. Times

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Source : ign[dot]com

Vin Diesel Could Be The Last Witch Hunter

Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel is now in negotiations to star in Lionsgate-Summit's The Last Witch Hunter.

The story, which was penned by Cory Goodman (Priest), is about the last remaining witch hunter, who is tasked with discouraging a group of witches and warlocks from reproducing. Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov was once set to helm the film when the pitch was first picked up, however, the filmmaker has since dropped out.

The Wrap reports that The Crazies' Breck Eisner is now attached to direct the film, with Adam Goldworm executive producing. Emmett/Furla Films will also produce.

Source : ign[dot]com

Evangelion 2.0 App Tours San Francisco

Here's your quirky news story of the day. New People, in association with the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival, has just released a new iPhone app, EvaNavi SF, that guides users to 60 notable attractions around San Francisco -- all under the guise of the popular sci-fi anime Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance.

Specifically developed for English-speaking anime fans and gamers, this audio application presents a myriad of anime-themed hotspots in the City of the Bay, including the Cartoon Art Museum, the Super 7 collectables store, and Gamescape, as well as Japanese eateries and live music venues like Kiss Seafood, Juban Yakiniku House, Blowfish Sushi to Die For and Yoshi's San Francisco. The app also pinpoints a number of non-anime attractions highlighting the city's local scene.

Best of all, the app is fully voiced by Mari Makinami Illustrious (voiced in English by Trina Nishimura) of Evangelion 2.0 fame.

EvaNavi SF is now available for free download on iTunes.

Source : ign[dot]com

Bourne Director Does Time and Again

Summit has picked up the rights to adapt the novel Time and Again to the big screen, with The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith helmer Doug Liman set to direct and produce.

Variety has the report on the project. Written by Jack Finney, who is perhaps best known for his book The Body Snatchers (which has been adapted by Hollywood umpteen times), Time and Again is a 1970 illustrated novel about a modern man who seemingly travels back to 1882, where he falls in love.

Robert Redford tried adapting the tale for Universal back in the '90s, and it was also considered as a possible TV mini-series by Universal Television at one point, but nothing ever came of it. Perhaps Liman will be the man to finally get the job done.

Talk to Movies Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottIGN, on IGN and on Facebook.

Source : ign[dot]com