News Week in Review 9th July – 16th July

* Some interesting tidbits on the next Indiana Jones movies hit the web this week. Specifically the fact that the plot once more concerns Indy's search for the Ark of The Covenant with the Russians also searching for it in order to gain power over America. This rumor holds some weight as Karen Allen is back as Marion Ravenwood from the first one and John Hurt plays her father, who if you remember was obsessed with finding the Ark.

* More Watchmen casting news this week. As the San-Diego comic con kicks off stateside all the studios pimp their latest blockbusters and comic adaptations. The Watchmen panel will apparently officially announce that Billy Crudup has been cast as Dr Manhattan in the film. Crudup is an extremely underrated actor who has given great performances is Almost Famous and last years Mission:Impossible 3.

* Great actors who should get more recognition Guy Pearce and Don Cheadle have both been cast in espionage thriller Traitor. The story by Steve Martin concerns an FBI agent who is investigating an undercover CIA agent who was posing as a terrorist and may have gone over to the other side. Sounds like an intriguing premise and anything with Pearce and Cheadle is worth watching.

* One of the biggest surprises this week was that Alex Proyas the director of I Robot and The Crow has signed on to direct Dracula: Year Zero. This didn't previously sound too promising but has now gone up a notch in interest. The story focuses on Vlad the Impaler when he is in human form and how he sells his soul whilst defending Romania from the Turks. Interesting……

* A sequel to Superman Returns moved closer to production this week as Kevin Spacey announced he will be back as Lex Luthor. The story will be more action packed this time and will start once Bryan Singer has finished Valkyrie and The Mayor of Castro Street. It is expected to be released in 2009.

* My favorite author Chuck Palahniuk has another film adaptation of one of his novels on the way. Fight Club is a classic movie and next week filming commences on Choke directed by Clark Gregg. The story concerns a man played by Sam Rockwell who is a sex addict and also cons people out of money by pretending to choke in restaurants. His mother played by Angelica Huston is in a mental home and there is a chance he may be descended from Jesus. Its not Palahniuks best book and an interesting choice for a film version. It will be interesting to see if they water this down after Fight Club's lack of success at the box-office despite being remarkably faithful. Now if we can just get film versions of Invisible Monsters, Lullaby and Survivor on the screen I will be happy.

* I promise that if there is an announcement regarding a new Jim Carrey film next week then I wont write about it. In this instance though its an adaptation of one of the best books I have ever read Danny Wallace's Yes Man. If you have read it then you know how feel-good a story this is as well as being laugh out loud funny. At its core its about a depressed man who decides to turn things around by saying yes to everything which changes his life in hilarious and interesting ways. They have also got an interesting director in Peyton Reed who directed Down with Love and was one time in the frame for Fantastic Four. If this is done properly this will be a massive hit.