Halo (film)

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Current event marker This article or section contains information about one or more scheduled or expected films. The content may change as the film's release approaches and more information becomes available. Upcoming film
Halo
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Produced by Peter Jackson
Fran Walsh
Mary Parent
Peter Schlessel
Scott Stuber
Written by D.B. Weiss
Alex Garland (Original script)
Release date(s) unknown
Language English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Halo is an upcoming film based on the video game series Halo, developed by Bungie Studios. The film is to be directed by Neill Blomkamp and executive produced by Peter Jackson. The film had a target release date of summer 2008,[1] however production was halted due to financing problems in October 2006.[2]

Contents

[edit] Plot

Halo will be based on the video game series of the same name. The Halo universe currently spans four novels, two more upcoming novels, two video games, three upcoming video games (Halo 3, Halo Wars, and another announced unnamed game), and the Halo Graphic Novel.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details about some or all of the Halo universe productions (Halo, Halo 2, Halo novels, etc.) follow.

The basic premise of the original Halo video game plot involves an ongoing war between humanity and a conglomerate of fanatically religious alien races collectively referred to as the Covenant. A human ship, The Pillar of Autumn containing the last of a genetically and cybernetically enhanced squad of super-soldiers (known as Spartans) (later it is revealed that the SPARTANs on the ship were not the only that survived) stumble across a seemingly abandoned giant ring-shaped planet (called Halo) floating in space. Halo has major religious significance to the Covenant, as they seem to regard it as a threshold that will allow them to complete their "Great Journey", but it is in fact a weapon when activated. Spartan 117 (also known as the Master Chief) and the Pillar of Autumn's A.I. construct, Cortana, try to gain control of it, but it is revealed that Halo is in fact a giant research station that contains a mutagenic lifeform called the Flood which turns its host into a highly-intelligent yet carnivorous, violent, zombie-like mutant that lives only to further consume other sentient lifeforms. The Flood is released, and the artificial caretaker of Halo plans to activate Halo's pre-programmed defense mechanism, which is to wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy (which is what the Flood eat to survive), effectively starving the Flood to death. It is implied (and confirmed in the sequel, Halo 2) that the original builders of the Halos, known as the Forerunners, killed themselves by firing off all 7 of the Halo worlds in concert millennia ago in order to stop a previous Flood outbreak. However, there are clues in the series that suggest the Forerunners somehow outran the Halos' destructive arc by using a special Slipspace field that keeps the lifeform inside impervious to harm. This is on the Forerunner world Onyx, found in the fourth Halo book, Halo: Ghosts of Onyx.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Production

[edit] Development

On February 3, 2005, Creative Artists Agency confirmed that Microsoft had completed a million-dollar deal with Alex Garland to write a screenplay based on the video game series Halo, which would then be offered to studios.[3] Microsoft released Garland's completed screenplay to various Hollywood studios on June 7, 2005, looking to be paid a $10 million fee as well as the studio's agreement to adhere to guidelines set by the game's developers.[4] Microsoft also wanted the studio to seek approval over the director and cast. In addition, Microsoft sought full merchandising rights for itself, a minimum $75 million budget, and company representatives' full access to the film's rough cuts in Los Angeles. Studios like Paramount, DreamWorks, Sony, and Warner Bros. did not want to cede creative rights to the film and passed over the project.[5] A few days later, 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios entered negotiations with Microsoft to divide Halo's distribution rights. The original $10 million deal was reduced based on the studios' negative response to the exorbitant price tag. In the negotiations, Universal gained rights to release the film in North America, where Fox would distribute the film overseas. On August 22, 2005, Microsoft's deal with the studios was announced to be finalized, with summer 2007 as the target release date.[6]

[edit] Screenplay

On July 13, 2006, author D.B. Weiss revealed in an interview that he was writing the screenplay for Halo. At the time of the interview, Weiss said that he was working on his second draft of the new script, which contained elements of the project's original screenplay by Alex Garland.[7]

[edit] Pre-production

On October 4, 2005, Bungie Studios announced that director Peter Jackson was signed onto the project as an executive producer.[8] The following year, on August 10, 2006, Universal Pictures announced that Neill Blomkamp was attached to helm the project, where he would make his directorial debut. The Weta Workshop and Weta Digital film effects companies were also announced to be responsible for handling Halo's effects. The film will be shot in Wellington, New Zealand and is slated for a summer 2008 release.[9] To keep the films' producers true to the Halo Universe, Bungie prepared an exhaustive encyclopedia known to some as either the "Halo Compendium" or the "Halo Bible", describing nearly every topic in the Halo games and novels including graphics of characters, species and vessels.[10]

[edit] Studio backout

On October 19, 2006, both Universal and Fox studios, who had agreed to co-finance the screen adaptation of the popular Microsoft game abruptly backed out of the picture, leaving rumors floating that the budget may be rising above the projected $135 million.[11] Microsoft attempted to secure financing from other studios, including Warner Bros and Paramount, to keep the project moving,[12] but production was officially halted and postponed on October 31 until additional backing could be found.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Thorsen, Tor. "Unknown directing delayed Halo", GameSpot, 2006-08-09. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  2. ^ "Halo Movie Officially Halted", WingNut Films, 2006-10-31. Retrieved on 2006-10-31]].
  3. ^ Brodesser, Claude, Fritz, Ben. "Halo, Hollywood", Variety, 2005-02-05. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  4. ^ Linder, Brian. "Halo Movie Script Delivered", IGN, 2005-06-07. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  5. ^ Grossberg, Josh. "Hollywood's Halo Effect", E! News, 2005-06-10. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  6. ^ Fritz, Ben. "'Halo' makes a date", Variety, 2005-08-22. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  7. ^ "GameSetInterview: Halo Screenwriter DB Weiss", GameSetWatch.com, 2006-07-13. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  8. ^ Staten, Joseph. "The Great Hollywood Journey, Part II", 2005-10-04. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  9. ^ "Halo Director Announced!", ComingSoon.net, 2006-08-10. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  10. ^ Staten, Joseph. "The Great (Hollywood) Journey, Part One". Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  11. ^ "Halo pic loses its studios", Variety, 2006-10-19. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
  12. ^ "Will WB or Paramount pick up Halo?", Coming Soon.net, 2006-10-27. Retrieved on 2006-10-27.

[edit] External links


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Halo • Halo 2 • Halo 3 • Halo Wars
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