I like Ryan Reynolds. He’s a very funny guy, a capable dramatic actor, and more often than not the best part of some godawful films. Even though last year’s Green Lantern was an unequivocal failure on nearly every level, Reynolds’ performance in the title role was solid enough to almost redeem the entire mess. However, I don’t think Reynolds should be a part of, or even anchoring, every genre movie property with endless potential. Some movies the guy just doesn’t seem to fit into.

Case in point: Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment’s reboot of the 1986 action-fantasy cult classic Highlander, which has been in development ever since Summit acquired the rights to the franchise from producers William Panzer and Peter Davis back in 2008. The project currently has Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) in the director’s chair with a script by Iron Man scribes Matt Holloway and Art Marcum and the Spanish filmmaker’s current top choice to be his sword-swingin’ Scottish immortal Connor MacLeod is none other than Ryan Reynolds.

For several years now a movie based on the popular Bioshock video game franchise has been in development. At one point Gore Verbinski (the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies) was in the director’s chair, but couldn’t come to an agreement with the studio about the film’s projected budget and his demand for an R-rating. Verbinski assumed producing duties instead and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) took over as director. But now it looks like the Spanish filmmaker is no longer involved with the long-gestating Bioshock movie either.

“To be honest, by now, I’m completely out of that, and developing other stuff,” Fresnadillo said in an interview with the Playlist while promoting his latest film Intruders. “Right now it’s on hold. The studio and the videogame company, they have to reach some kind of agreement about the budget and the rating.” Despite the popularity of the Bioshock games the franchise has a very limited fanbase outside the gaming community and wouldn’t necessarily justify the sizable nine-figure budget required to bring the game to life on the big screen. Verbinski looks to be staying on as producer.

Bob Anderson, one of the world’s top sword masters and fencing choreographer for such movies as Lord of the Rings, Highlander, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Princess Bride, has died, according to TheOneRing. He was 89.

Anderson, who was born on September 15, 1922 in Hampshire, England, taught many actors fencing techniques and was a stunt double for David Prowse’s Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He actually also trained actor Errol Flynn, who is known for his iconic swashbuckling roles.

According to TheLordOfTheRings.net, after the master swordsman read J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books, he “developed sparring methods based on Tolkien’s descriptions of each culture.”

The $10 t-shirt deal of the day over at TeeFury today is a Highlander-themed shirt called “Macleod Antiquities” by Jack Lightfoot.

The sale began at Teefury today, Friday, December 2, 2011, at midnight EST, and will continue for 24 hours from then, and once it’s over, it will not be sold on the site anymore.

How fast does it take for a remake to go from mildly intriguing to quite interesting? A matter of one single news story.

With Justin Lin attached to the long talked about remake of Highlander one could definitely be interested. However, as Lin becomes something of a hot commodity in the film world, a new director is needed, and apparently, that director is none other than Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.