Nerdy News

Take-Two Interactive is coming together with Universal Studios to develop the highly-successful and awesomely creepy video game “BioShock” into a feature film. Pirates of the Caribbean’s Gore Verbinksi will be directing and producing. John Logan of Gladiator and Sweeney Todd fame is in talks to write the script. No other details have been given at this time.

Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K Games, said, “BioShock fans appreciate the depth and complexity of the game, and our partnership with Gore Verbinski will introduce the world of Rapture to an even wider audience. In addition to his impressive body of work, Gore is an avid video gamer and true fan of BioShock. That was extremely important to us in deciding to move forward with this project.”

A sequel to the game, BioShock 2, is set to be release in late 2009.

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In other video game news, there’s a new “LEGO Batman” trailer online. I know I say this a lot but, it’s ridiculously adorable. Especially the little strut they gave Catwoman. But, no Poison Ivy?

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How would you like to attend an Unexpected Party? Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro are inviting you to a live internet chat about The Hobbit. This is similar to what Jackson did before production started on The Lord of the Rings.

“So this is how it will work: we ask all fans with an interest in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings to send one question to this website. As us anything! Guillermo and I will select and answer the 20 most common questions, so that we can both attempt to address the key issues as best we can,” Jackson said in a statement.

The answers will be given during a one hour live web chat hosted by Weta. The chats will start May 1st and continue through May 10th. The date and time of the live chat depends on what part of the world you live in so check the site for details. Besides the chosen 20 questions, Jackson and Del Toro are willing to take additional questions live and chat about the project. They are suggesting it’s a good idea to register in advance.

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There is some sad news to report. Illustrator, and one of the founders of Mad Magazine, Will Elder passed away yesterday morning at the age of 86. Journalista! was the first to give word and soon The New York Observer and others followed.

After leaving Mad, he and Harvey Kurtzman worked on an Archie Comics parody “Goodman Beaver Goes Playboy!” Though it resulted in a lawsuit by Archie Comics it garnered the attention of the original playboy, Hugh Hefner. The result was Elder’s other famous work with Kurtzman, “Little Annie Fanny,” which was published in playboy from 1962 – 1988 and in 2001 was published in trade paperbacks by Dark Horse Comics.