Hot off this morning’s news that Pulp Fiction co-writer Roger Avary is in talks to direct the John Cusack-fronted thriller Airspace, Panorama Media and Samuel Hadida announced today that Avary will write and direct an adaptation of the video game franchise Castle Wolfenstein.  The pic is described as an action-adventure film in the vein of Captain America and Inglourious Basterds (two very different movies) that centers on a top secret mission to Castle Wolfenstein where Hitler is set to unveil a new secret weapon.  During their mission, a young US Army Captain and a British Special Agent are confronted with Himmler’s SS Paranormal Division.

The first Castle Wolfenstein game was launched in 1981 and has evolved considerably over the years, so it’ll be interesting to see what they incorporate into the film.  Hit the jump to read the full press release.

As AFM rolls on, so do plenty of casting stories.  While the casting is in place, it’s still unknown if any of these movies will actually make it in front of cameras, but they’re being packaged for potential international buyers.  First up, Screen Daily [via The Playlist] reports on the interesting pairing of Morgan Freeman and Clive Owen for The Last Knights.  Written by Michael Konyves (Barney’s Version) and directed by Kazuaki Kiriya (The Legend of Goemon), the film is about a “a band of warriors who seek to avenge the loss of their master at the hands of a corrupt emperor.”  I have no idea where Freeman and Owen fit into a story that sounds like it takes place in Feudal Japan, but I’m interested.  Filming will take place in the Czech Republic, although that’s likely for tax incentives and the production could use soundstages.

Hit the jump for some John Cusack casting news.

With Darren Aronofsky’s Noah moving forward and directors Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott progressing on their Gods and Kings and Moses epics respectively, Paul Verhoeven has decided to go for the literal king of Biblical personas.  Verhoeven has landed financial backing and a writer for his controversial picture centering on Jesus Christ.  In his writing corner will be Roger Avary, an Oscar winner who shared writing credits on Pulp Fiction with Quentin Tarantino. Providing the greenbacks will Chris Hanley of Muse Productions, whose credits include American Psycho. Hit the jump for more on Jesus of Nazareth.

Thor 2 is having an incredibly rocky road to the big screen. Kenneth Branagh originally turned down the chance to return as director, then talks with his replacement Brian Kirk broke down, and just recently director Patty Jenkins walked away from the project. Marvel is, understandably, working hard to get things back on track, and it looks as though they’ve already zeroed in on Jenkins’ replacement. The studio is apparently looking at two directors as possible candidates to take the job: Alan Taylor and Daniel Minahan. Both come from the TV world, and both have helmed episodes of HBO’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones. Hit the jump for more, including what candidates are being considered to draft a new screenplay.

Cops producer John Langley has tapped Pulp Fiction co-writer Roger Avary to pen an adaptation of William Faulkner’s 1931 crime novel Sanctuary.  Deadline reports that Ali exec producer Lee Caplin will co-produce with Langley.  The book was adapted back in 1933 as The Story of Temple Drake, but the plot had to be readjusted to adhere to the Production Code, and there’s a lot to readjust.  The story involves rape, murder, abduction, and other brutal acts set against the backdrop of the American South during Prohibition.

Avary’s last produced screenplay was 2007′s Beowulf and his career was slightly way-laid when he pled guilty to a vehicular manslaughter charge in 2009 and while he was at first given a work furlough and five years probation, he was dumb enough to complain about it on Twitter and as a result was sent to jail to serve out the remainder of his sentence.  He was released last July.  Personal problems aside, Avary is an interesting screenwriter who has no trouble tapping into the ugliness of characters and their situations and he sounds like a perfect fit for this adaptation.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

If there’s one thing I can’t get enough of these days it’s video game adaptations – because they’re all so incredibly amazing – and because everyone else in the world seems to share my feelings screenwriter Roger Avary and Samuel Hadida have signed on for a sequel to “Silent Hill,” the film adapted from the popular video game franchise in 2006.  I’ll continue to be not-so-silent after the jump.