Stuart Beattie Says Halo Movie is NOT Dead
By Krystal Clark
Whenever it comes to Halo news I feel like I’m in an rocky relationship. One minute things are a go, the next they’re not. At this year’s Comic-Con, Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp filled us in on their involvement with the live action adaptation of Halo. According to Jackson it wasn’t a pleasant experience for him, Blomkamp, or Microsoft. So, who’s next to tackle this epic story? G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra screenwriter Stuart Beattie has a script ready to go, and believes that this film not only has to, but needs to be made.
The Halo film was a dream project for rookie director Blomkamp, who unfortunately doesn’t have the fondest memories of the movie making experience. Here’s what he had to say about his past involvement with the project.
“I think I was so invested in it for those months that we worked on it, it’s a very difficult thing to work on something and get into it like that, like that amount of creative intensity and then just have the rug pulled out from underneath you.”
Jackson chimed in by stating:
“As much as we had a terrible experience ultimately with the way that Halo fell over, I think Microsoft also shared that. They were very frustrated. I think that’s something they’re figuring out so we’re not involved at the moment, but obviously I think we just have to let them figure out what they want to do with the property they own.”
Luckily for Beattie he wasn’t involved with the Halo script during this time. He actually started writing the feature script as a labor of love. He really believes that the Halo story needs to be told on the big screen. It’s just the matter of getting the once burned Microsoft to give it another shot.
“I’ve been relentlessly at it for the last year and a half now, trying to convince Microsoft to make it, and trying to find a big filmmaker who wants to make it with us. I have a lot of hope for the Halo film, it’s not dead in my book. I won’t let it die. It’s too good to let go, I mean it’s our generation’s Star Wars. The whole thing is so cinematic, I just think it’s dying to be done.” Anything I can do to be a part of it, to help get it going, I’ll do it.”
I couldn’t agree more. I can really appreciate Beattie’s passion for the Halo story. That’s the kind of vigor and dedication you’ll need to rally behind something this big. So there is hope! He won’t let it die.
Do you want to see Halo on the big screen? Should Microsoft give it another try?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009 2:30AM
yes please
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 5:58AM
It'll never happen and be worth a damn. PJ and Weta were too good to be true, and that proved to be the case. Bloomkamp had the overall vibe down but judging from his Landfall short film/ad, little things were off that belied an ignorance (God's in the details, as they say), and I don't mean little things related to Halo, I mean little things that were logical (the ODST having long-ish hair, for instance).
Ultimately, this will never work for a couple reasons (the fact that dreams don't come true notwithstanding–even though they don't): 1) there's too much $$$ tied up in all of it and nobody will ever be satisfied enough to make it a reality and release the thing; 2) Halo is great for its aesthetic and main character, both of which are utterly inaccessible onscreen.
On one hand, you have the Master Chief and NO ONE WANTS TO SEE HIS ORIGIN STORY BECAUSE ORIGIN STORIES ARE LAME AND HACKNEYED, not to mention that he's a stoic and stoics aren't dynamic characters. He's not someone who would be interesting to WATCH for 2 hours because how much of that time would be fighting? But therein lies the crux: if you focused on anyone else–even other ancillary characters from the games–it wouldn't FEEL like Halo. Halo only works as an interactive gaming experience. The best you'd get is if you followed around some other Marines/ODST's who were attached to the MC (like Nathan Fillion's character). But even then you can't rely on Hollywood to not cock that one up.
On the other hand, you have the visual style and art of the franchise…which for anyone over 15 and not retarded knows is COMPLETELY ripped off of Aliens and B5. The humans look amazing in the game and that's because they're all just a bunch of copies of Colonial Marines and Earthforce personnel from Babylon 5. And good luck trying to pass that off without getting sued.
So, in the end, Halo will NOT be made in a state that's worth a shit or resembles the games (and looking like the games is what would keep or kill it). And if it is made, it'll be so far removed from the source material that it won't be recognizable and thus retarded. Anyone who believes Halo is a viable reality is delusional. Give up.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 3:32PM
leander shut the fuuck up honestly, just because u have no hope or faith, does'nt mean you need to fuuck it for the rest of us!
no one cares about your beliefs of what u think it would turn out like or what would happen,
the world revolves around ppl trying, for instance try to make it and make it what its worth.
and honestly mate who gives a fuuck if its about master chief's origin, ppl who love halo, want to know everything about how it all started and how mastercheif started off because he is apart of halo and thats what we want! to be honest with ya, i've prob only read one book in my life, but i'de love to read all the halo books just to see what happened and happens, witch im gonna do soon actualy.
so stop criticizing and just hope for the best!…..
Thursday, August 6, 2009 3:21AM
Wow, I'm assuming you didn't read the book. Anyways, your speech is nothing but your own opinion.
Thursday, August 6, 2009 5:10AM
With all these good ideas, you should work in Hollywood. Or just post rants on movie blogs. Whichever gets your brilliance out there.
Saturday, August 8, 2009 9:37PM
As someone who loves the games and is gonna be very happy about the movie WHEN it gets done and put out, wants to know the orgin of master chief, never have read the books but always wanted too, and everyone i know who has all said they are great as well. The only thing i see not being worth a shit is the person or persons who is extreamly negative about things. Leander if you think that the movie is gonna be a bust well congrats your probably one of maybe a few who think that way, all of us other fans think your wrong and could care less what you have to say. I say bring on a Cast and Director who wants to really get this movie made and let everyone judge for themselves.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 4:41AM
i have read the book and the fall of reach is a GREAT platform for a great movie
Saturday, August 15, 2009 9:18PM
I truly believe that Halo would make a great movie if the right people are working on it. I really thought that Jackson and Blomkamp would have presented the Halo Universe in a way that would have been both familiar to fans of the games, but also original and surprising. A lot of people out there seem to be just pessimistic, and probably for good reason. How many times has the film industry taken something that the general public holds dear and then completely destroyed it in an effort to capitalize on a pop culture phenomenon? Too many times. But that doesn't seem to be what is going on here. Peter Jackson loves video games. Much like he loved the Lord of the Rings. And out of that was born something incredible because it wasn't about merchandising and bottom lines. Is there a lot of influence in Halo from other movies? Absolutely. Aliens, Starship Troopers, Predator, it's all there. But a Halo movie wouldn't necessarily be limited to these elements. Hell, if Michael Bay can take Transformers (the first one, not the second one. the second one sucks), a movie based on a bunch of toys that eventually spawned comic books and cartoons, and turn it into a summer blockbuster, then the right people with their hearts in the right place can take the Halo Universe and turn it into one of the great sci-fi films of all time.