John Woo has optioned the rights to a Metroid Movie!

Famous -or is that infamous? Hollywood big-shot John Woo has optioned the rights to a film based around Nintendos' hit Metroid franchise.

Woo is set to produce the movie and also has the option to take on the role of director as well. Also attached to the production are Terence Chang and Brad Foxhoven and Suzanne Zizzi from Lion Rock Productions.

Fervent followers of Nintendo and the Metroid franchise will remember that a year ago Warren Zide and Craig Perry took the film options from Nintendo, but they let them expire without coming up with a product. Tiger Hill -Jon Woos' very own games production studio, stepped up and asked Nintendo for the option to produce the film themselves. They're working to an expected release of 2006.

We can only hope that this turns out better than the Super Mario Brothers movie. And if not, we can at least say that the games are better than the film.