ACTION SATURDAY: TOM HARDY IN "SPLINTER CELL"! ALEXANDER SKARSGARD IS NEW "TARZAN"! HUNTER PARRISH IN "TRANSFORMERS 4"! DANE DEHAAN IN "THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2"?

Some time last year I told you that Ubisoft is preparing movie adaptations of a number of their megapopular video games. First one to be adapted will be ASSASSINS CREED with Michael Fassbender starring and producing, and now SPLINTER CELL also has its lead star. According to "Variety" Tom Hardy has been confirmed for the role of Sam Fisher, a highly-trained operative in a secretive unit known as Echelon. The game, which has been sold in amazing 23 million copies since 2002, has a story which follows an elite secret agent fighting world terrorism and struggling to protect his daughter. Beside that one and ASSASSINS CREED, which follows knights Templars, Ubisoft is also planning a film on GHOST RECON which is set in the near future following a secret, elite team of soldiers which are trying to keep and protect world peace using cutting-edge military technology.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

Only a week or so ago HOLLYWOOD SPY reported that HARRY PLOPPER director David Yates is preparing a new movie version of 

TARZAN for Warner Bros. and that Henry Cavill and Charlie Hunnam are being considered for the lead role,  but the latest reports say that Yates and the studio have apparently opted for TRUE BLOOD's star Alexander Skarsgard. "Variety" reports that the story will focus on John Clayton III, also known as the "ape man" Tarzan. He is asked by Queen Victoria to investigate a conflict in the Congo. Samuel L. Jackson is in discussions to play George Washington Williams, a Civil War veteran and former mercenary who teams up with Clayton to stop an evil warlord.

TRANSFORMERS & SPIDERMAN

Other casting news coming from Tinseltown say that  a bunch of young hunks have auditioned for a role in TRANSFORMERS 4 which will have Mark

 Wahlberg in the lead role. In the run to play a race car driver boyfriend of Wahlberg's daughter are always delightful Hunter Parrish (from WEEDS) alongside Luke Grimes (from TAKEN 2) and Landon Liboiron (the punk son from TERRA NOVA). Young Nicola Peltz from THE LAST AIRBENDER could play the daughter in the film which might be set in China this time. Speaking of teens, another teen role is about to be filled these days: the role of Harry Osborn, Peter Parker's edgy and dark best friend in THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN 2 could be taken by another young blonde Dane DeHaan from CHRONICLE or Alden Ehrenreich from BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. They've apparently already tried out their roles and could join Andrew Garfield in the sequel which could also have Jamie Fox as the villain Electro.