The Nightly Nerdlinger News epi 2

Let's start with the biggest news of the week.

Star Wars The Clone Wars Animated Television Series

The first trailer for the new CG Star Wars series, this time for television, is finally up at StarWars.com . Go check it out or we're taking your nerd license away.

Finally, Elric

So his adaptation of The Golden Compass is already being hyped by studio New Line as the new Lord Of The Rings (rather inaccurately if you ask us, since the books share little in common). But that’s not enough fantasy limelight for the guy who, up until now, was best known for small-scale comedies like American Pie and About A Boy. Nope, along with his brother and former co-director Paul, Chris Weitz is going to take on the biggest fantasty-literature property as yet untouched by movieland: Michael Moorcock’s Elric saga. Elric of Melniboné, aka Elric Kinslayer, aka The White Wolf first appeared in print in 1961, and is the anti-hero of more than a dozen books. A physically weak, perpetually sickly albino who’s the outcast Emperor of a race of cruel, ancient decadent people, he’s no musclebound Conan-type, instead drawing his power from the spirit-sucking runesword Stormbringer, an evil entity with whom he struggles for his own soul. And he’s frankly one of the greatest fantasy characters out there – albeit one who’s going to be fiendishly hard to make work on screen. “Of the great classic fantasy series it’s the one that hasn’t been done yet,” Weitz tells Empire online. “My brother Paul and I liked those books growing up and we’ve met Michael Moorcock and he trusts us to take those books forward.” The Weitz’s Depth Of Field production company will be behind the adaptation, although no director is yet attached. Weitz does have one in mind, though: “I’d really like it if my brother directed them,” he says.
Source: Empire

Vermsnote: Oh please let it not suck.

Shia LeBeouf is Death

It looks as if Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia, Transformers) is set to play the male lead in Neil Gaiman's directorial debut of Death: The High Cost of Living, which he adapted from his own mini-series, according to Film Ick. In the comics he was called Sexton Furnival; and that Death, or Didi as she calls herself in her mortal form, has snagged the interest of one famous young actress in particular. The Death hunt is done, if the deal works out, and soon she'll be named.

Source: BloodyDisgusting

Thomas Jane bows out of Punisher sequel

Sad, sad day for fans of the comic vigilante. Stating that he didn't like what he was seeeing as far as the movie went and a full plate and a new daughter, Thomas Jane has left Punisher 2. maybe we'll still see a sequel, but it just wont be the same without him, he's going to be huge some day and he would have made this movie. Also noted at AICN is the possible director to be attached ( announced right after Jane left! ) Freeze Dried Movies says that John Dahl (THE GREAT RAID, ROUNDERS) is in "major talks." I can't confirm he'll direct, but my sources at Lionsgate did mention he was in the running. Also in the running was HOOLIGANS director Lexi Alexander. Full story at AICN.
Source: AICN