The Movies expands

Over the last couple of months, it has looked more and more like Lionhead's cinema-based tycoon-style The Movies would be riding off into the sunset.

Last month, Activision canceled the planned console ports of the game, bluntly citing underperformance on the PC as the reason. Earlier this month, an administrator on Lionhead's official forums confirmed rumors that the company planned to restructure into two teams, which would seem to leave little room for a sequel to an underachieving franchise.

But if the series is going out, Lionhead's making sure it's going out with a bang, perhaps one followed by a slow-motion "airswim." In association with Activision, the company today announced the expansion pack The Movies: Stunts & Effects for release this spring. The expansion will add stuntmen and their death-defying feats to the game, a movie-making toolset, visual effects, and new sets, costumes, and props.

A price was not announced, but the original The Movies retails for $39.99 on the PC. For more information on the series, check out GameSpot's full review of the original game.