When development began on the Gears of War movie last year, the project sounded like it might have bucked the game-film curse. Then semi-independent studio New Line Cinema (Lord of the Rings) picked up the film rights, and commissioned Collateral writer Stuart Beattie to pen the screenplay. Hope climbed further when the game's lead designer, Cliff Bleszinski, signed on as a creative consultant and executive producer.

　　Today, though, came a one-two punch of news that many fans of Gears of War--GameSpot's 2006 Game of Year--may find disheartening. Variety is reporting that, after months of negotiations, Len Wiseman has signed onto direct the project. Besides being married to actress Kate Beckinsale (pictured), Wiseman is best-known for directing the less-than-acclaimed Underworld action horror films. He also directed the fourth Die Hard film, Live Free or Die Hard, which briefly featured some Gears gameplay.

　　In addition to directing, Wiseman is reworking the script with writer Chris Morgan, the mind behind the reviewer-pilloried script of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and the forthcoming Wanted. The pair are currently working together on the sci-fi suspense-actioner Shell Game, with Wiseman also cowriting and producing the third Underworld film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.

　　Both of Wiseman's current projects are due out next year. Gears of War is expected in theaters next summer, while Gears of War 2 will ship for the Xbox 360 this fall. And while another high-profile game adaptation (Kane & Lynch) recently caught the attention of a major Hollyoowd star (Bruce Willis), no major roles in the Gears film have yet been cast.