Ben Kingsley to star in BloodRayne movie

One week after Terminator 3 star Kristanna Loken signed on to play the titular bloodsucker in BloodRayne, the game adaptation has enlisted some higher-caliber talent. Majesco reps have confirmed to GameSpot that Ben Kingsley has signed on to play the vampire overlord Kagan, who is BloodRayne's father. Set more than two centuries after events in the game, the film will follow BloodRayne's quest to stop Kagan's nefarious schemes to slaughter humankind.

Kingsley had been committed to Vengeance, Steven Spielberg's thriller about the Mossad's terrorist-assassination campaign following the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. However, worries about modern-day terrorism delayed filming, causing the Oscar-winning actor's exit.

Given BloodRayne director Uwe Boll's track record (House of the Dead), some are considering Kingsley's casting the most questionable career move since Jeremy Irons signed on to Dungeons & Dragons. However, the film's screenplay is being written by Guinevere Turner, who penned the script for American Pyscho.

In other news, Comingsoon.net, the Blue's News of the film world, is reporting that Resident Evil star and Driver 3 voice actor Michelle Rodiguez is being considered for a role in BloodRayne. Majesco reps would not confirm the casting as of press time. The film is due for release in 2005.