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."

Comments

Red Vs.Blue

[dextroz]

They could just rehash the Red Vs Blue videos in high quality and 5.1 and it would be hilarious all over again!

an educated guess

[DualG5GUNZ]

The irony of this movie is that all the graphics work will be done on Macs.

Quality Control?

[alvinrod]

Although Microsoft seems to be pushing to have a say in the creative developement of the movie, I'm wondering how much they'll end up getting. I'd really hate to see a movie with so much promise end up being ruined by a movie company that probably doesn't know anything about the Halo universe.

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.

At long last last...?

[TheCamper]

I'm not a big Halo fan myself (fps don't belong on consoles, but that's a flame for another day) but it's kind of refreshing that the movie industry is whoring itself out to the gaming industry for once, instead of the other way around. I'm sick of crappy games being put out by every single movie, just as an extra boost for cash.

Of course, movies have been made before based on games, but Hollywood merely buys the name, and makes a craptastical movie having nothing to do with the actual game (see Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark, soon to be Doom 3) in hopes that the popularity of the name will bring revenue. Hopefully this time a gaming franchise will be saved from this fate due to Bungie's insistance on Hollywood following the Halo Bible.

Re:I don't know what to say

[h4rm0ny]

In case you aren't aware, some of the

great
masterpieces
of the
modern
era

are based on video games.

If there's any marketing / advertising person at imdb who has to analyse the hits for various movies, I'd love to see them trying to puzzle out the /. anomalies.

"Hmmm... 2:10 EST, sudden massive spikes on Street Fighter and House of the Dead. What does it MEEEAANNN!!!!"

Good Negotiating Tactics

[MBraynard]

It's always wise to begin the negotiations by asking for too much that the other side can back away from than risk asking for too little. This was one of the more worthwhile lessons from one of the tasks in the Apprentice Season 3.

This movie is by no means a guaruanteed success. Let's take a look at the last few video game movies (Ignoring Pokemon):

• Resident Evil - Gross: $40m (Domestic), Costs: $53m.
• Resident Evil: Apocolypse - Gross: 51m (Domestic), Costs: $70m.
• Super Mario Brothers - Gross: $21m (Domestic), Costs: $48m.
• Mortal Kombat - Gross: $70m (Domestic) 52m (Overseas), Costs: $?m.
• Mortal Kombat 2- Gross: $36m (Domestic) 15m (Overseas), Costs: $?m.
• Tomb Raider: $131m (Domestic) $143m (Overseas), Costs: $115m (Production only, not marketing).
• House of the Dead - Gross: $10m (Domestic) 4m (Overseas), Costs: $22m.
• Double Dragon - Gross: $2m (Domestic), Costs: $?m.
• Final Fantasy - Gross: $32m (Domestic) 53m (Overseas), Costs: $137m.
• Street Fighter - Gross: $33m (Domestic) $66m (Overseas), Costs: $35m (production only, no marketing).
• Wing Commander - Gross: $12m (Domestic), Costs: $30m (marketing not included).

Ok, I'm sure I missed. But the one that Halo most resembles in terms of popularity and a big budget is Final Fantasy. I really enjoyed that film, and I'm unsure why it did so poorly. But from MS's point of view, they have nothing at risk financially (maybe a lousy movie - and that didn't hurt the popularity of Mario's games). Expect to see trailers for Halo3 at the start of the HAlo Movie.

I bet this will get 3 standing ovations at Cannes

[carcosa30]

Just the other day, I overheard a number of noted French art-film directors and aficionados at La Petite Couchon, a Cannes sidewalk bistro, enthusing about how excited they were about the prospect of a Halo movie. They were also excited about a possible Halo II movie, and were practically beside themselves with joy at the idea of the angst, dystopianism and emotional involvement of the Master Chief being brought to the silver screen.