Variety reports that The Punisher has received a green light from Artisan as the second film in its fifteen-property deal with Marvel.  Jonathan Hensleigh will script and direct.  Hensleigh scripted Jumanji, Die-Hard:  With a Vengeance, and The Saint, and executive produced Gone in Sixty Seconds, Armageddon, and Con Air.   This will be his first directing effort.  Gale Anne Hurd, who has a portfolio full of genre pictures (Alien Nation, The Abyss, Terminator 2, Armageddon, The Hulk) will produce. 

The other film in the pipline from Artisan is Iron Fist, which is expected to begin shooting this year with Ray Park (Episode I) starring and Kirk Wong (The Big Hit, Crime Story) directing.

Punisher and Iron Fist join five other Marvel movies recently released or in production (see 'Marvel's Monster Movies Mash the Screen') in the fattest pipeline ever for comic-based films.