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Bytes: Microsoft Saves Halo Movie

By Empress Eve | @ | Sunday, October 22nd, 2006 at 10:31 pm

Microsoft has stepped in to finance the movie based on its HALO video game after Universal and 20th Century Fox dumped the project, which had a preliminary budget of $145 million. [Link]
Stephen King‘s novella THE MIST is coming to the big screen with Frank Darabont (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) directing.
Harrison Ford, 64, says he’s “fit” to play Indiana Jones for the fourth time. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are reportedly working on another Indy movie. [Link]
The Jim Henson Company confirmed that it is working on a full-length feature film of the 1980s HBO show FRAGGLE ROCK. The treatment is being written by Ahmet Zappa.
TV Land will air a 25-hour marathon of THE MUNSTERS Saturday, October 28, from 6 am to 6 am. When the clocks are pushed back for daylight savings time, viewers will get the extra episode “Zombo,” in which Herman Munster tries to be a hero.
Helena Bonham Carter has joined Johnny Depp in the cast of SWEENEY TODD, Tim Burton‘s movie adaptation of Stephen Sondheim‘s musical thriller.
Dynamite Entertainment will publish a new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA comic book mini-series, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE CYLON WAR, which will reveal the historic events of the first Cylon War, as well as the happenings during the 40-year truce that followed. Novelists Eric Nylund (HALO) and Joshua Ortega (FREQUENCIES) will pen the series, due out in March 2007.
Timothy Olyphant (DEADWOOD) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead have been cast in LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, the fourth installment in the DIE HARD franchise. Bruce Willis will reprise his starring role as John McClane.
TERMINATOR 3 hottie Kristanna Loken will star in the Sci Fi series PAINKILLER JANE. The one-hour show will debut in the spring of 2007.[Link]
Warren Ellis will script a direct-to-DVD animated feature film based on the CASTLEVANIA videogame. [Link]
Kevin Murphy is writing a series based on NOBODY, a comic book about a mother who gives up her life to save her daughter, for ABC Family.
RUNAWAY is the first CW series to be cancelled.