Big film news update: Madonna directs again; Scorsese to team with De Niro & more...

Lots of film news going on right now, and here is the latest from around the Web:

- Madonna is stepping behind the camera again, as she gets ready to direct "W.E.," a period piece centering on King Edward VIII's affair with Wallis Simpson. Madonna is penning the script with Alex Keshishian. Madonna also helmed "Filth and Wisdom." (Variety)

- How about this? Martin Scorsese plans a mobster flick with Robert De Niro. "There's no doubt about that. We're working on something like that, but it's from the vantage point of older men looking back, none of this running around stuff," the master said at the Berlin Film Festival. Woohoo! (Reuters)

- Mike Newell, who has "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" coming up, will write and helm a film about the death of ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned by polonium-210 several years ago. The project is based on the book "The Terminal Spy" by Alan Cowell. (Variety)

- "Season of the Witch" won't kick off in March, as originally planned. Lionsgate announced it would pull the Nicolas Cage flick for now. A new date hasn't been set yet. In the film, a group of knights escort a girl suspected of being a nasty witch who apparently digs the Black Plague. (Variety)

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New 'Season of the Witch' photo arrives

USA Today posted a new image of Nicholas Cage in Dominic Sena's upcoming supernatural thriller "Season of the Witch," which is currently shooting in Austria. You can check out part of the still above and click here to see the full version. I'm glad his hair doesn't look utterly awful this time.

Written by Bragi Schut Jr., the film follows a group of knights escorting the girl who’s believed to be the witch responsible for spreading the Black Plague. “Witch” marks the second collaboration between Sena and Cage, who previously worked together on the 2000 action hit “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

Nicholas Cage gears up for ‘Season’

Nicholas Cage packs his bags and heads to the 14th century for Dominic Sena’s upcoming supernatural thriller “Season of the Witch,” according to Variety.

Written by Bragi Schut Jr., the film follows a group of knights escorting the girl who’s believed to be the witch responsible for spreading the Black Plague.

“Witch” marks the second collaboration between Sena and Cage, who previously worked together on the 2000 action hit “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

Sena’s credits also include “Swordfish” and upcoming crime thriller “Whiteout,” in which Kate Beckinsale plays a U.S. marshal hunting down a killer in Antarctica.

Cage can currently be seen in “Bangkok Dangerous.” He’s also got plenty of projects coming up, including “Knowing,” “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” and “Kick-Ass.”

I certainly enjoyed “Gone in 60 Seconds” and especially “Swordfish,” but I’m not quite sold on the idea of Sena and Cage teaming up for a flick set in the 14th century. Something about it just doesn’t sound exciting.