I guess I just knew a Thundercats movie was on the way, but now we’ve got a director. Instead of going the Transformers route and trying to be as realistic as possible, they’re taking the more sensible TMNT path, with stylized CG action for the outlandish characters and settings.

This is not to say we won’t see some kick ass action. Jerry O’Flaherty, the art director from Epic Games survival horror/tactical shooter Gears Of War has accepted the job as director of the first Thundercats theatrical outing with fellow newcomer Paul Sopocy as screenwriter. I think its fair to say Lion-o and Mumm-Ra should have a pretty brutal sword fight at some point.

If you’re unfamiliar with Thundercats, check out their wikipedia page and try not to laugh too hard. Yes. Man sized cats from the planet Thundera fight a Mummy and his mutant buddies. It was really cool when I was kid though, trust me.

From Variety

Out of no where comes the announcement of four new maps for Gears coming this Thursday.  The maps are priced at 800 MS points ($10), but will become free downloads starting September 3rd.  The new maps include:

• Bullet Marsh – In this Kryll-infested swamp, an old generator still powers the area lights. A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving combatants to fend for themselves against the Kryll.
• Garden – This overgrown and crumbling conservatory still has a working fertilization and pesticide system. This system can pose a serious hazard to anyone who ventures into the greenhouse without first venting the air.
• Process – Teams must fight for control of this subterranean Imulsion processing plant, still active despite the cessation of the Pendulum wars.
• Subway – Timgad’s Central Subway station used to serve as a central hub for commuters. Now the tunnels are crawling with Locust.

Compared to the last map pack, which was rather dull, these new maps sound really exciting.   Especially if they offer more environmental threats, which many of the default maps were lacking, this could wind up being a really worthwhile download. 

Latino Review‘s El Mayimbe has scored a read of the 22 page treatment for the Gears Of War movie we heard about a while ago.

While its a treatment, not a full script and could be subject to many revisions, it sounds like an amazing companion to an amazing game. The game tossed you right into the most action-packed part of the story, with very little in game to go over the background of what happened before. This movie fleshes out Marcus and Dom’s military career before the game, and also shows off Emergence Day. We’ll also see Cole actually playing thrashball!

I realize making Halo into a movie might’ve been crazy. The male lead never shows his face, the female lead is a computer program. The story is there, the action is there, but its a huge leap for a studio to take. Gears on the other hand is a lot more cinematic than Halo, and has every right to be turned into a great war movie with some sci-fi action. What do you think? Are Marcus, Dom, Baird, and Cole destined to be the next great movie team? Who could even direct this monstrous movie? Leave a comment!

Pop Gears of War into your Xbox 360 right now and you’ll be able to download the latest game play update and bug fix, but also the the new game type “Annex” which is depicted in the video above. Skip past the cut to see the full press release with the bug fixes listed.

Annex is a variation on King Of The Hill, where players struggle for control of one spot on the map. Sounds fun already, since KotH was my favorite Halo gametype, but its sweetened by adding respawns. Yes, Gears Of War finally has a gametype where you can die and respawn.

Also on this week’s 1UP Yours Podcast, Epic’s Mark Rein stated that their team has 4 new multiplayer maps ready to go, and has been trying to get Microsoft to release them free. MS thinks charging is the way to go. Ultimately they’re going to comprimise with maps going for sale to start and going free after some time has passed. I’m fine with paying or getting them free, just as long as they get here soon!
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Mash-ups like this are appearing with greater frequency every day, but I’ll be darned if I don’t enjoy them when they’re good.

Here’s the opening titles to The A-Team with footage from Gears Of War.

The unrivaled best game of 2006 may become a motion picture.

Epic Games has auctioned the rights for Gears Of War along with a 21 page treatment by Stuart Beattie (Collateral) to New Line pictures. The studios hope to have a feature film ready for 2009. Lead designer and metrosexual man about town Cliff Bleszinski will serve as executive producer.

Gears Of War‘s actual in game story was somewhat slim, but the slew of pre-release trailers and the massive backstory created to support the supposed trilogy are more than enough to support a feature film. On a somewhat related note, a series of novels are likely to appear to further flesh out the fate of Sera and the Coalition of Governments against the Locust Horde.

Casting is a long way from being discussed, but fans already calling for Lester Speight to reprise his role as Augustus Cole a.k.a. The Cole Train. “Whooo! The Train is home on the rails!”

Via Variety

An indepth analysis of Microsoft and Epic’s 2006 blockbuster!

Tonight, Gamestop/EB are holding a super lame Gears Of War party with no demo.
All they’re showing is a single video, which might be little more than the beginning of the game.
Since we are blessed with an INTER-NET that laughs at the idea of waiting or exclusivity, you can watch the whole thing here now.

Keep an eye out over CliffyB’s shoulder for a Powermaster Optimus Prime.