A movie version of the immensely popular video game Halo has been talked about for a long time now. It was happening, it was scrapped, happening again, then scrapped again… rinse, repeat. It got old pretty fast. So why am I here right now? Why, to add another layer of hope for all of those people dying to see this happen, of course!
There’s no question that a lot of people would love to see a Halo movie, but it seemed the big setback was budget, as it could surely have reached the $200-$250 million range — which is not an easy thing to turn around and into a profit. This of course scared studios to death and no one has taken the leap of faith.
Now comes news via a Latino Review exclusive that Stuart Beattie — who happens to be a massive Halo fan AND a professional screenwriter — took it upon himself to write a script entitled Halo: Fall of Reach without being hired or paid a single dollar. How’s that for good faith within the industry? Someone not getting paid a thing and going out of their way to try and help along a project that they have a real passion for. It’s a very refreshing thing to read about on a rainy weekday.
We also learned some details on the storyline of this non-commissioned script, which is based on the novel Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund
. Below are the exact words from the source, directly from LR’s exclusive report!
“The script is, first and foremost, a character-driven story about a soldier named John who was kidnapped or “conscripted” by the UNSC when he was just six years old, and then brutally trained to become an elite Spartan warrior known as Master Chief 117.
The script then takes us through the horrific first contact with the Covenant hordes on the doomed colony world of Harvest, and then climaxes with the spectacular fall of the UNSC forward base on Reach, during which every other Spartan is slaughtered.
The script also gives detailed outlines for the second movie, HALO: RISE OF THE FLOOD, which takes place entirely on the Halo ringworld, and the third and final movie, HALO: BATTLE FOR EARTH, which roughly follows the events of Halo 3, the game.
One cool advantage of this first script is that (like the shark in JAWS) you don’t even see the Covenant until halfway through the movie. And because all the creatures are CGI creations, this cuts the budget down dramatically and makes a first Halo movie that much more viable. For Halo fans, it’s like the prequel that provides all the answers to questions they’ve thought about for years. For non Halo fans, it’s an exciting action movie that provides a clear, concise introduction to a world five hundred years in the future with relatable characters and a terrifying alien menace.”
Very interesting description with some even more interesting details on the possibilities that are laying here waiting to be gently picked up by some studio and turned into a summer blockbuster. Stuart Beattie has been a writer on all three of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Collateral, 30 Days of Night, and has multiple new ones on the way including G.I. Joe.
Does he have the magic touch necessary to finally get the Halo project purchased and greenlighted, or will this be just another tease? I personally would love to see what them did with this as a movie, although the talk of an abundance of CGI is very off-putting.
What do you guys think, any interest at all here?
A movie version of the immensely popular video game Halo has been talked about for a long time now. It was happening, it was scrapped, happening again, then scrapped again… rinse, repeat. It got old pretty fast. So why am I here right now? Why, to add another layer of hope for all of those people dying to see this happen, of course!
. Below are the exact words from the source, directly from LR’s exclusive report!
Dude… Halo: The Fall of Reach is one of the best sci-fi novels I’ve ever read and I’ve DREAMT of this being made into a movie.
A reach flick written by the guy to wrote Collateral? I am SO effing there.
Comment by NeverWanderer — April 3, 2008 @ 2:11 am
The book was great, I’d love to see a film of it. Yes please!
Comment by Joel — April 7, 2008 @ 4:51 pm