Halo

[Brian in Mesa]

Halo Movie Gets a Screenwriter
Source: Variety
February 4, 2005

Microsoft has put the finishing touches on a deal to hire Alex Garland (28 Days Later, The Beach) to adapt the bestselling video game franchise into one movie, reports Variety. The trade says Garland's screenplay will then be offered to studios as a complete "turnkey" script and rights package.

The "Halo" franchise is one of the most popular in video game history, having sold over 12.8 million units and grossed approximately $600 million since its 2001 debut. Last year, "Halo 2" sold 6.4 million copies and was the second-bestselling game of the year.

The games' plot concerns a warrior soldier known only as "Master Chief" battling a group of alien religious zealots who believe one of their most sacred artifacts is located on Earth.

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I've never played Halo, but I know it has a huge following. Hopefully Garland can adapt it well.

 

[AzCards21]

I heard there's some sort of tournament going on. Got any info BIM?

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I heard there's some sort of tournament going on. Got any info BIM?

Here ya go: Halo tournament thread...

 

[mdamien13]

Dr. Uwe (House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark) Boll has expressed interest in this project.

No, seriously.

 

[Brown_Blood]

I've never played Halo, but I know it has a huge following. Hopefully Garland can adapt it well.

Halo game =

Halo books =

Halo movie =


Some things are just meant for one medium. Why ruin a good thing?

 

[Phlegyas]

Based off of history, this movie probably will stink.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Halo Script Shopped for $10 Million
Source: Variety
June 7, 2005

Variety says that messengers dressed as Master Chief from Microsoft videogame Halo hit the studios Monday with a screenplay based on the bestselling franchise.

The script is by 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, who was paid $1 million by Microsoft to write an adaptation that meets the approval of its executives and the game's creators at subsidiary Bungie Studios.

Microsoft also brought in former Columbia Pictures president Peter Schlessel to help it handle the project and serve as a producer in some capacity.

Microsoft and its representatives at CAA are seeking an advance of $10 million against 15% of the gross and strict control of development, adds the trade. The winning studio would have to follow a "bible" created by game developers to make sure any changes to the script don't alter the universe established in the first two "Halo" games that will continue in future sequels for the Xbox.

The studio partner also would have to move quickly into production, with a goal of starting by January.

New Line and DreamWorks have already passed on the project due to its high cost and concerns about the script. In addition, Sony is believed to have not been included because of its PlayStation division's competition with Microsoft.

 

[peterman]

halo the movie

Universal, Fox close to Halo movie deal



Variety reports the two studios want to jointly shoulder burden of bringing the Master Chief to the big screen, but some sticking points remain.

Apparently the movie moguls at Universal Pictures are closet gamers. With one major game adaptation in postproduction--Doom, which is due out later this year--the venerable film studio has signed on to bring an even more popular shooter to the silver screen.

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Today's Variety (subscription required) is reporting that Universal has partnered with 20th Century Fox to cofinance the film version of the biggest Xbox franchise of all time, Halo. Sources told the Hollywood trade that the two companies are in final negotiations to buy the Halo movie rights from Microsoft, which had couriers--dressed as the Master Chief--make the rounds at all the major studios earlier this week. They carried a Bungie Studios-approved script from 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland.

While Halo's huge fan base--the series has sold nearly 13 million copies--would normally be catnip to Hollywood executives, Microsoft reportedly put forth conditions that put off many studios. According to reports in several media outlets, including a detailed account in today's New York Times (registration required), Microsoft demanded $10 million against 15 percent of the box-office gross. This in addition to a minimum $75 million "below the line" budget, meaning the studio would have to invest that much money before hiring any actors or a director, usually a film's biggest expenses. Also, all studios shown the script had just 24 hours to respond "yes" or "no," since Microsoft wanted the movie fast-tracked into production.

According to Variety, Microsoft's tall order caused almost all major studios to pass on the project. By Tuesday, DreamWorks, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Buena Vista Entertainment, Disney's parent company, had dropped out faster than an ODST. With virtually all of the competition gone, the two remaining heavy hitters--Fox and Universal--decided to use their leverage for more favorable terms.

According to the Times, Microsoft's representatives at Creative Artists Agency--current employer of former Xbox cocreator and game-industry enfant terrible Seamus Blackley--hammered out a deal on Wednesday afternoon that had Fox and Universal offer Microsoft $5 million against 10 percent of the gross. The agreement would see Universal distribute the Halo movie domestically, while Fox would handle foreign distribution.

But while Universal and Fox's offer is now the only game in town, Microsoft is still unsure if it wants to play ball. Variety and the Times say the agreement is held up on two fronts. First, the two studios requested that Microsoft relinquish its demands and that the Halo movie strictly follow a Bungie-penned "bible," which would ensure that it would not deviate from the Halo mythos or conflict with "sequels" to the game (i.e. Halo 3). The second reported sticking point was Microsoft's insistence that principal shooting begin as soon as possible, possibly as early as this fall. According to Variety, Universal and Fox will only "promise simply to get the pic into theaters by 2007 at the latest."

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot POSTED: 06/10/05 12:18 PM

i think that might be a good movie what do you guys think

 

[SpokaneCardfan]

Dr. Uwe (House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark) Boll has expressed interest in this project.

No, seriously.

Let's hope he does not have anything to do with this movie . House of the dead was one of the worst movies I have ever seen . Never saw alone in the Dark .

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Peter Jackson To Oversee "Halo" Movie

Patrick Klepek - 1UP
Tue Oct 4, 2005

Who knew? The rumors are actually somewhat true. Acclaimed (and fanboy loved) director Peter Jackson and collaborator Fran Walsh are tapped to executive produce the upcoming Halo adaptation from Univeral Studios and 20th Century Fox. Mary Parent and Scott Stuber will act as producers alongside Peter Schlessel.

No, that doesn't mean Jackson will be directing, but with creative minds like this at the helm, you can be assured Uwe Boll and Paul W.S. Anderson are far, far away. Halo's been dealt the real deal with it comes to Hollywood filmmaking, and I don't think anyone will blame me when I respond to this news with a resounding: holy ****. Someone's finally taking videogame movies seriously.

"As a gaming fan, I'm excited to bring Halo's premise, action and settings to the screen with all the specificity and reality today's technology can provide," said Jackson. "Fran and I are intrigued by the unique challenges this project offers, and we're delighted to be working again with our friends at Universal, and with our new ones at Fox and Microsoft. I'm a huge fan of the game and look forward to helping it come alive on the cinema screen."

 

[Neo]

This will probably be just at good as the Mortal Kombat movies. Or maybe as good as the Super Mario Brothers Movie!! That is AWESOME!!!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Halo Movie Officially Halted
Source: WingNut Films
October 31, 2006

After Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox backed out of co-financing the Halo movie, it was reported that prep work would continue at Jackson's Weta studios in New Zealand. But now, Jackson and Microsoft's WingNut Films has released the following statement saying that production has halted:

As was previously confirmed, we deeply regret that both Universal and Fox did not choose to move forward with financing the Halo film under the original terms of the agreement. At this time Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, along with their partner, Microsoft, have mutually agreed to postpone making a feature film based on the Halo video game universe until we can fulfill the promise we made to millions of Halo fans throughout the world that we would settle for no less than bringing a first class film to the big screen. We are fully supportive of Director Neill Blomkamp's vision of the film. Neill is a tremendously gifted filmmaker and his preliminary work on Halo is truly awe-inspiring. While it will undoubtedly take a little longer for Halo to reach the big screen, we are confident that the final feature film will be well worth the wait.

The script, originally written by Alex Garland and rewritten by D.B. Weiss, was to have gotten another rewrite by A History of Violence scribe Josh Olson. The movie was previously targeted for a summer 2008 release.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Good. Eventhough I think that Halo is the most overrated video game of all time, it should really be released later. Maybe when they decide to come out with Halo 4, the movie and the video game could debut on the same day. That would generate some buzz I would think....