Three geek movies, Ant-Man, Sandman, and Minecraft, advanced on Thursday.

Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) is in negotiations for the last major role in Ant-Man, according to Variety.  His role has not been disclosed.  Ant-Man is now set to be released July 17, 2015, with Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas starring (see "Disney Moves 'Ant-Man' into Vacated 'Batman vs. Superman' Spot").

The Sandman movie being developed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and David Goyer (see "'Sandman’ Movie") now has a writer, Jack Thorne, who’s done mostly TV work, according to Deadline.  Thorne will work from the treatment by Goyer, who’s written a bunch of comic-based movies including Man of Steel and the Batman and Blade trilogies. 

Anybody that’s been going to comic conventions for the last few years has seen more than a few attendees dressed as the pixel heads from Minecraft (see, for example, "Wizard World’s Chicago Comic Con Photos--Part 1").  Now that geek passion is going to be harnessed by a feature film; Warner Bros. has acquired the movie rights, according to Hollywood Reporter.  The videogame has sold over 35 million copies for consoles and 14 million copies for PCs since its 2009 launch.