Len Wiseman will be directing New Line’s film adaptation of Microsoft and Epic Games’ video game Gears of War.

This according to Variety, who also report that Chris Morgan (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Wanted) will be taking over the screenplay writing responsibilities from Stuart Beattie. Gears Lead Designer Cliff Bleszinski will act as executive producer and creative consultant.

Rumours that Wiseman would be heading up the project began after Gears of War was featured in his recent film Live Free or Die Hard. Wiseman will rework the story with Morgan, with whom he is collaborating on sci-fi action thriller Shell Game.

Wiseman is best known for co-writing and directing the first two Underworld films and is currently producing the third installment in the Underworld franchise, Underworld 3: The Rise of the Lycans. Incidentally Wiseman is married to Kate Beckinsdale who starred in the first two Underworld films.

The Gears of War film was initially expected to arrive in cinemas in summer 2009 although further development on the project is likely to delay that date. Gears of War 2 will be available for the Xbox 360 in November.

“It’s like with our games, you can have it right or have it right now,” said Epic Games head Mark Rein. “We want to get it right. There’s no timetable for us. We just want to make as good a movie as we can, and we think (Wiseman’s) the guy who will do it.”