Just as I was ready to buy stock in the ExtenZe company for the sheer excitement and anticipation “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” scribe Stuart Bettie stirred in me last week with his zeal for a “Halo” movie, Peter Jackson craps on my dreams of seeing Master Chief on the big screen with both Joystiq and at a Comic-Con panel for “District 9.” Click on those stories to read in depth the details, but both links pretty much say the same thing: a “Halo” movie with Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp involved is dead and gone.
Here’s Mr. Jackson’s rather succinct statement from the Joystiq interview:
Well, Microsoft has a whole strategy with the Halo property, and when the rights expired with the two studios, that sort of ended my involvement with the project. That fell apart because of internal politics at Fox and Universal. It had nothing to do with the budget or anything else. In fact, we hadn’t even been greenlit at all at that point.
Thanks, Peter. Happy Monday to you, mate.
Bottom line? I still believe we’ll see a “Halo” movie. It has too much potential to be buried alive. I mean, if someone is willing to finance and make a movie about the 80s video game “Asteroids,” then “Halo” has to be made. As someone passionate for the game and story, I sure hope someone in Hollywood, or Microsoft, pulls head from rectum and pushes the accelerator on this long-hoped-for, long-awaited film.
3 comments On Happy Monday to YOU, Peter Jackson!
“If someone is willing to finance and make a movie about the 80s video game “Asteroids,” then “Halo” has to be made.”
For you Andy, i hope your right. but..
You know as well as i do that the suits in hollywood arent the most intelligent of people.
Look at all the video game licenses these guys are gobbling up.
It seems these guys have completely run out of ideas, they just rehash the same garbage while trying to make a hit franchise they can milk until the teet is dry.
But wth do i know, guinea pigs beat out harry potter at the box office..
I tried to tell you, pal. I’m sure at some point Halo may get made, but the Blompkamp/Jackson angle has been kaput for a while. Very sad.
As for the game properties, I’m not a guy who bemoans “originality” in Hollywood or the heaping pile of game adaptations being optioned (most are still on paper and being bandied around for development). I enjoy seeing any kind of creative work gain a shot at big screen time as it’s always interesting to see how the screen adapts it.
Running out of ideas is all pretty subjective, considering most modern game properties could be argued as an original idea and most require a story/screenplay of sorts (of course, you could argue there hasn’t been an original marquee game in a while– they’re all cobbled body parts of other genres– movies developers want to play). I mean, the screenplay combine has always been in place, it’s just Hollywood has more outlets to plug into it– and video games come with some safety in “user testing”.
To be a little contrarian, Danny, I’d argue the suits in Hollywood are very smart– in the business sense. Hollywood is a business after all and studios take a measure of financial risk with most of the films they produce– hence franchise envy. Conversely, game companies are the same way– it’s not like Hollywood comes in and grabs up the rights in all cases. EA and Capcom are heavily involved in adding monetization to their ideas and properties.
It’s all a beautiful business game– one that has the potential to keep the nerds in us all very, very happy.
You 100% correct.
I think its the older i get the more i see is just regurgitated garbage and its every bit as much in video games now.
It all used to be so exciting and cool and now its like..another Command and Conquer? really? Another Rockband/Guitar Hero?..Someone pinch me!
Milk, milk, milk.
I realize these guys put their butts on the line with millions of dollars at stake, their gonna go for a sure thing.
You love Halo right?..They are gonna drill this franchise into the ground, Hell you have 3 1st persons, one RTS and now your gonna get Anime and ODST(so im not a sparton? Oh i get to be a regular wuss asses shock trooper? sweet!)and next up is Reach whatever that is..
And while i bitch about it all i’ll be the one buying the next halo and going to see Transformer 3.
I am Tard..no im just a manchild who grew up with all this stuff but at times you can really see how corporate this stuff is now.
I believe i read EA and Activision control 90% of all games released now. Knowing these guys practices this does not bode well for small creative devs.
This is becoming a book, ill stop here.
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