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Halo Movie May Happen After All
spizkapa writes "On the back of the story about the Halo competition, Microsoft are reported to have reached a deal with Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox to make a movie based on Halo and Halo-2. Apparently, Microsoft initially wanted $10 million plus 15% of the box office revenue but the deal was struck when the two studios teamed up and offered $5 million and 10% of initial box office revenue. Apparently, the formal announcement will take a further week after creative issues are agreed between the three parties involved."
The major console makers and game studies should jointly create a studio, or an offshoot of one of the major ones that currently exists that will be responsible for making all game movies. This way the game companies will have a lot more decision making process and control over the content of the movies. Although something like this will never happen, it would prevent any chance of Halo being turned into a romantic comedy by some movie company who's bigwigs wouldn't know their ass from an Xbox.
So what is so original about this game that a studio needs to pay for the rights rather than do a sci-fi movie from scratch?
My (very) vague knowledge of the game is that it is set in an ring-like orbital. Maybe they'd get a cheaper deal off Iain M. Banks as he has plenty of these in his Culture novels. That's assuming any sci-fi author is still willing to sell rights after 'I, Robot.'
Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
Unfortunately, Isaac Asimov died long before anyone thought about making a movie. Presumably, if he were still alive he would have exercised greater creative control, but I guess that's what happens when you deal with an author's estate ... all they care about is that they have some valuable IP to sell. Now, I, Robot was a quality movie in its own right and had it been called "Robot Independence Day" or some such I would have enjoyed it just fine, but they made the mistake of trying to reel in Asimov fans by hyping how it was based on his books. That was really a dumb move, considering that they've pretty much alienated most of them (I certainly won't bother taking in an I, Robot II, that's for sure.)
But yeah, you're right in that this is all about trying to capitalize on the success of a plot idea in one medium, by hoping it will translate into success in another. Taking on a genuinely new idea is more of a risk than recycling an existing successful one. Well, at least that seems to be the prevailing point of view in the industry. Generally it doesn't work so well, though. For that matter, the video game industry itself has fallen prey to the same kind of innovation-killing thinking that Hollywood has.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
They could do worse than to have the Red vs. Blue guys write the script. There's never been a game-related intentional* comedy before. A Halo movie with humor would be great. Bungie has always been known for throwing inside jokes into their games. A comedic/dramatic Halo movie would rock.
* Many previous game-related movies have been unintentional laugh riots.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
...they'll lean heavily on Eric Nylund's novelizations, which are pretty good. You need additional backstory and characterization to make a decent script out of Halo, and these books provide it.
Professor of Astronomy, Author of Spider Star & Star Dragon (Tor)
I guess I am the only one that thought the Halo storylines sucked ass. Predictible and assinine, and a bit too fluffy for my liking. What the hell is up with all the purple and PINK? Are we fighting the Care Bears?