Just a couple of days ago we talked about how Speilberg was spearheading an offer to get the Halo movie back on. But now we hear that Microsoft is just not interested.
Well not yet anyways.
We’re glad there’s still a lot of enthusiasm in the entertainment industry surrounding the idea of a Halo movie. That said, the Halo feature film remains on hold as we focus on projects like Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach.
I am baffled by this. It seems that Microsoft has nothing but to benefit here.
All they have to do is take the truckload of money and maybe have some involvement to approve the script or any other quality control issues to keep the film in line with their franchise. The story they intend to use doesn’t contradict with the game franchise. They approved the book the proposed screenplay is based on.
And they risk nothing in its failure. Dreamworks/Disney would pony up the cash and fork over an agreed percentage back to Microsoft on top of the payout for the rights.
Did I miss something? Did Microsoft’s Halo team disagree to hand over the film rights to the franchise because they already have a day job?
It will happen eventually. Just not while they are busy with their current game releases.
Microsoft will obviously wait until the next XBOX console to launch this film. The 3rd Xbox won’t launch with a new Halo game but it might launch with a new killer app made by Bungie studios and they will advertise the hell out of a Halo movie at the same time. Makes sense to me.
This is typical business as usual, say you are not interested to get the bastards to offer even more.
I am sure everyone that has a 360 would see this film and they would take their friends and girl friends if they have any.
I could see it being the biggest film of all time if they do it now cause in 3 years no one is going to care but now the idea is bad ass.
I am sure everyone that has a 360 would see this film and they would take their friends and girl friends if they have any.
I could see it being the biggest film of all time if they do it now cause in 3 years no one is going to care but now the idea is bad ass.
You know honestly I am kind of glad to hear something like this. I hope it is just MS wanting to take a stand like Bungie did when the movie was supposed to be made the first time. Yeah, to us it seems absolutely ludicrous for a “game” studio to have the gall to tell a “movie” studio how to make a movie. But this is Bungie’s baby. How much shit has Hollywood taken and butchered to hell just to make a buck…need I say more!!! I would be scared to death to release something like Halo to the movie minds of Hollywood. Some may disagree and say that not every game has the potential to be movie stardom but I believe Halo does. It has an epic space battle story to it, violence and sci-fi, and amazing new weoponry to see. It doesn’t have a love story-THANK GOD!!! The games may have control repetition, but you are stupid if you think this game didn’t have a good story. And there is plenty of story to take from and use…and the good thing is there aren’t different story arcs…well, I guess you could say HWars and ODST are in a way. But I dont think it could go wrong in the right hands.
As much as this is Bungie’s baby, they had no issues being absorbed my Microsoft. So really Bungie didnt feel that attached to it after all.
And Microsoft is not telling the studios how to make a movie. Just when. I am sure they will have some creative input, but its just an approval process.
Hate to spoil your candy coated world, but EVERYTHING Hollywood does is to make a buck. Same goes for Microsoft. Its just money. That’s what they do.
And don’t kid yourself. Halo might have a good story for a game, but directly translated is boring. The story? Bad guys. Shoot them. Roll credits.
You argue that Microsoft is doing the right thing saying no to Hollywood then you start a rant saying its a great story and it can’t go wrong in the right hands.
They didn’t think Jackson and Blomkamp were the “right hands” either but they were willing to talk to them and make a deal.
Sorry to say, but you defeat you own argument. Its not Bungie’s baby, you can’t assume “Hollywood would do it wrong” is their reasoning. And it has just as much story as every other video game to movie out there.
While there were other factors in the derailment of the previous Halo movie project, Bungie being too much of a watchdog over the adaptation happened to be one of them. So now that the Halo game franchise are being absorbed into Mircosoft, it seems Mircrosoft is, not surprisingly, chosen not to be onboard for now.
Why?
Because like Bungie, they find that while they could have some input, they cannot rule the filmmakers with a iron fist, looking over the shoulder like Big Brother. Could they supervise Spielberg or Dreamworks, let alone Disney? No.
There is some speculation that the delay may be due to the planned Halo Reach. I don’t buy this for one minute Why? Because a film like this takes planning. Some work that the Jackson/WETA people may have done may or may not be used. It could go an entire different direction, depending on the director. About the time a budget is put together (and god forbid, don’t be the 200m price tag like before) crew, actors, filming…
I don’t see a problem here. Either the game will hype the film or the film will hype the game. But it just seems to me like another case of interference. Either they want to make the film or they don’t. They do, but it’s their way or the highway. They own rights-? So be it. They can pull out, and the project is stalled.
Not like I was really shocked at this news.
Not like I was holding my breath underwater either.
I’m going to say that MS “put the brakes” on it to get us talking about it more. I think it would be dumb of me to question their marketing strategy. Pretty sure they know what they’re doing. ODST, Reach, movie. It will happen, just on MS’s timetable.
I dont think really think the franchise is going to the ground. I personally still play Halo 3, as well as many other thousands of people. Not only that, but the excitement is there with the announcement of every new halo game. Will i get them all? No, I didnt get Halo Wars atleast. Am I getting ODST and Reach? Most probably.
Now, to answer the question: why are they holding of to a Halo movie? Well i think it is because of the recent announced game: Halo Reach. The supposed script is based on the Fall of Reach book. My guess, as the name states…the game is based on the same one. If they release a movie before the game they might get some hype off of it. So they rather release the game first…and make the movie later….
Maybe they’re worried that oversaturating the media with a film will run the franchise into the ground quicker than more frequent game releases would? I don’t know if there’s any legitimate concern over that… but maybe they’ve done their market research on this one.
I don’t see them passing up easy money for absolutely no reason. So I’d be interested in finding out their logic behind this.
@ Jake
“I don’t see enormous potential as a film series” Are you kidding me??? The Halo story line goes so much deeper than just the 3 main games. There’s a whole series of novels, graphic novels and comic books that cover much of the Halo mythos.
I’ve only read the first novel, Fall of Reach, and although it’s not the greatest literary work, it would be an awesome starting point for a Halo saga. The story not only widens the already massive Halo universe, but also allows for those that haven’t played the games or read the books to be introduced to the characters and the basic storyline.
I think that there is a lot hatred for the Halo series b/c of what Microsoft has done to the franchise, and b/c of it’s popularity in general. From the gaming blogs (destructoid.com) and other video game related sites, there is a general distaste of Halo for no real reason.
A Halo movie franchise has the potential to be epic. Having Speilberg on-board will only create more momentum to this film. I know that this is said a lot on this site but it is true, in the right hands this film could be great. With that said, PLEASE keep Uwe Boll away from this…
I’ve been an avid Halo player since the Original xbox Launched. I’ve been playing halo for about 8 years so far. So to answer Phil. YESSS it is really starting to run into the ground. The main reason for this is that Microsoft now has control over the Halo property. They created a new internal studio “343” in order to develop future halo games themselves. Halo: Reach next year will most likely be the last time Bungie works on the franshise. Bungie is the creator of the property. Now that microsoft has distanced itself from Bungie a bit they have been going things like Halo Wars, Halo Legends, Halo Waypoint, and the list is surely to grow and grow. Bungie released 1 game every 3 years or so and that was it. Now that microsoft and do what they want it appears Halo is being slapped on everything. So it started out strong in 2001 but it’s getting so over exposed now and thats only going to continue.
Right, so Microsoft is so protective of the brand they’re bringing out a new Halo game every year, possibly more.
I’ve no idea what they’re waiting for.
I’m not a fan of the series so somebody else will have to tell me; is this franchise in danger of running itself into the ground? Is anybody getting sick of it now that the trilogy is finished?
I do hope Microsoft is not under the arrogant presumption that their little cash cow will just keep going and going forever (Eidos made that mistake with Tomb Raider). If people stop buying Halo in the next year or so, the film may never get made.
The single player campaigns are fun for a little while, but throughout the trilogy not much changes in way of gameplay. At least that I can remember. You played one, you played them all. Online multiplayer is where the action is. Although, honestly I haven’t played Halo 3 online in over six months due to uber-serious Halo gamers out there who dampen the fun with their competitiveness. Actually I’m not at all excited about future installments. I’m more like “meh.”
im sick of it, but it has tons of very loyal fans…the read the books, buy all the games, and adore the main character…i cant really see people not buying any of the games, just about every 360 owner I know has the game
The franchise does run that risk, however with the new game style for the squad based ODST and Halo Wars offering some variety to the game play, it does extend its legs.
Sometimes, I think people make a bigger deal out of the Halo franchise than it deserves. The typical-if-polished gameplay is such that every time a new game in the main series is released, all past installments become almost entirely obsolete. Also, I don’t see enormous potential as a film series.
I’d rather see a CG film of Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. Three golden goddesses descend on a swirling mass of dark and foreboding energy. They breathe life into it, and give it form. They create the red earth, instill a sense of law and order in the land, and create creatures to uphold that order. Thus, the world of Hyrule is brought into existence.
In one of the many lands of Hyrule, called Gerudo, a male is only born once every 100 years. This time, the child is named is Ganondorf. The order leaves the boy in the hands of two witches, who train him in the dark and mystic arts of magic. More and more, Ganondorf hungers for power. As he comes of age, he is crowned king. As the years pass, he hatches a plan to travel to Hyrule Castle, where the chosen people of the Goddesses reside. It is also the location of the Temple of Time, where the entrance to the Sacred Realm is held. His plan is to invade the city after he let in for the ceremony in which he swears his allegiance to the King of all Hyrule.
It gets more interesting, too. It would make such a good series.
Hmm, maybe Microsoft wants to be more hands-on with the film. I don’t know. I am surprised they don’t take act on this.