Mad Max is hitting the road again...as a 3D Anime?

Some big screen animated Mad Max 4 action is shaping up to become a reality, according to George Miller, the writer/director of the previous three films. The catch? He doesn’t want Max himself, Mel Gibson, anywhere near the project.

“We’ll probably go a different route,” Miller told MTV News about the potential talent voicing the lead role. The plot would be partly lifted from the script of the fourth “Max” film, which was set to shoot in 2003 until financing collapsed in the wake of the Iraq War.

Now Miller is resurrecting the idea as an R-rated, stereoscopic anime flick for theatrical release. It’s a curious undertaking, to be sure, but one made all the more certain to happen after the runaway success in 2006 of his computer-animated “Happy Feet”—not that the newest, ever-violent “Max” film will have much in common with that kid-friendly penguin party.

“I see myself as someone who is very curious about storytelling and all its various media,” Miller said. “I’ve always loved anime, in particular the Japanese sensibility. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

The project is one phase of a “Mad Max” renaissance of sorts. Along with “God of War II” designer Corey Barlog, Miller is developing an action-adventure videogame based on the fourth film. Gibson won’t be participating in that endeavor, either.

For the anime release, Miller isn’t looking simply to mimic Japanese-style animation but rather to adapt it for Western audiences. “The anime is an opportunity for me to shift a little bit about what anime is doing because anime is ripe for an adjustment or sea change,” he explained. “It’s coming in games and I believe it’s the same in anime. There’s going to be a hybrid anime where it shifts more towards Western sensibilities. [Japanese filmmaker Akira] Kurosawa was able to bridge that gap between the Japanese sensibilities and the West and make those definitive films.”

Well that's all a big surprise isn't it. Mad Max as an anime. Thinking about it I could see it working and could lead to some amazing visuals. Would you want to see Mad Max go anime on us?

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The Random - Schwarzenegger in The Expendables, Life of Pi, School for Scumbags, God of War, Trump Heist, Nerverackers, How do You Know?, Book of Eli

Former action star turned California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will cameo as himself in Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables reports AICN. Arnie will shoot a one day cameo appearance in the action-team up film in which a team of mercenaries is sent to infiltrate a South American country to overthrow the ruthless dictator and liberate the country. Eric Roberts will replace Ben Kingsley in the role of a corrupt CIA agent. Latino Review adds that Danny Trejo has landed a role in the film as well.

Ang Lee ("Brokeback Mountain," "The Ice Storm") is in talks to direct the film version of Yann Martel's Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi for Fox 2000 reports Variety. The coming-of-age story revolves around a youth who is the lone survivor of a sunken freighter and winds up sharing a lifeboat with a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan and a hungry Bengal tiger.

Aaron Rapke and Stewart Kaye ("The Money Shot") are set to pen the action comedy School for Scumbags reports Variety. Based on Danny King's novel, the story centers on a teen who, after being expelled from a long list of schools, lands at a campus for "misdirected" teens where the teachers are actually professional thieves who teach them to execute the heist of the century.

Brett Ratner ("Rush Hour," "X-Men: The Last Stand") may have left the film adaptation of hit video game series God of War. According to Production Weekly, Ratner's is focusing on the Chris Tucker and Eddie Murphy team-up vehicle Trump Heist as his next project.

Robert Rodriguez ("Sin City," "Spy Kids") will reteam with Dimension on the futuristic thriller Nerverackers says Variety. Set in 2085, the story centers on a character named Joe Tezca who is part of an elite unit dispatched to quell a crime wave in a theoretically perfect future society.

Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd are in talks to star opposite Reese Witherspoon in James L. Brooks' romantic comedy currently titled How Do You Know? for Sony Pictures says Variety. Rudd would play a white-collar executive vying for Witherspoon's affections, while Wilson would portray a professional baseball pitcher who is also a love interest.

Evan Jones ("Jarhead," "October Road") is set to star in Warner Bros.' futuristic western The Book of Eli says The Hollywood Reporter. In "Eli," Jones will play the leader of a quartet of bikers who tussle with Eli (Denzel Washington).

Source: Dark Horizons

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Thunder...Thunder...Thundercats Hooooo! Charles Wen is down to do the concept art

Comic Book Movie that Charlie Wen, an illustrator and concept artist for God of War I and II (the games) and Gatchaman the movie would be doing the concept work for the new Thundercats movie - I've included some of his concept art from God of War and it looks stupendous. If he can bring his A-game to the Thundercats film then it may get past the major cheese factor from the original cartoon. Warners took the unusual move of hiring a video game designer to direct. Jerry O'Flagherty was the art director made famous by his work on the Gears of War game. By all accounts so far this movie is receiving a solid design treatment on updating the look of the ThunderCats while paying homage to the original series.

God Help Us! Brett Ratner to make God of War

Coming Soon mention that director Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand, Red Dragon, Rush Hour) has finally confirmed that he is attached to direct the God of War movie in an interview with UGO.

Universal Pictures secured the movie rights to the popular video game created by Sony Computer Entertainment back in the summer of 2005. Mosaic Media Group's Charles Roven and Alex Gartner were announced as producers at the time.

Set in ancient Greece, the game follows the battles of the warrior Kratos, who tackles mythological beasts including Medusa, Cyclops and the Hydra. Players navigate Kratos on his quest to find Pandora's Box and destroy Ares, the god of war.

The game, created by David Jaffe and Shannon Studstill, was released for PlayStation 2 in March of 2005. A sequel was released in March of 2007 and a prequel, exclusive to PlayStation Portable, in March of 2008. A third title is in development for the PlayStation 3.

In addition to God of War, Ratner also mentioned he has Playboy and Beverly Hills Cop 4 in development as well.

We've got his movie, 2 Hercules and a Jason and the Argonauts being made along with a remake of Clash of the Titans. The next few years are going to be sword and sandals all over the place!

What do you think of this news? Never played the game - is it good and would it make a worthy movie? Is Ratner the one to make that movie?

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