Universal Pictures has optioned the film rights to the Doom SF video-game franchise for producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and John Wells, Variety reported. Enda McCallion is attached to make his directorial debut, the trade paper reported.

Robert Rodriguez’s resignation from the Directors Guild of America has jeopardized Paramount’s development of its adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic SF book A Princess of Mars, Variety reported. The director of Spy Kids quit the union so he could co-direct Sin City with Frank Miller, who created, wrote and illustrated the three-book graphic novel series on which that movie is based, the trade paper reported. (Guild rules do not permit such “co-directing” credits.)

Harry Knowles, creator of the Ain’t It Cool News Web site, will co-produce the upcoming SF movie Princess of Mars for Paramount Pictures, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Knowles will join a production team that already includes director Robert Rodriguez, his wife Elizabeth Avellan, Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel.