Wow.  Holy shit, wow.

Aintitcool is saying that Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will be producing Garland's script for "Halo?"  Will Jackson direct?  Only time will tell, but in the mean time, all signs are pointing to this one being the great video-game movie we all know is possible.

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=21470

Hey, if you don't mind spoilers, check this out:

http://latinoreview.com/scriptreviews/halo/review.html

Latino Review, who tends to be very good at getting their hands on scripts for big name movies early, has snagged a copy of Alex Garland's "Halo" screenplay.  The bad news is nothing.  The good news, is that it is apparently incredible.  It is given a 5/5 star review and described as the "'Saving Private Ryan' of video-game movies."  Wow.

Now, I know that there have been many great scripts that got so caught up in studio politics that they have produced mediocre movies.  But with Peter Jackson on board as exec producer, I have very high hopes for this.    

Why? Peter Jackson is a jerk off. He's such a complete ass monkey. Peter Jackson is clammering to get his hands on any property that he can for a buck. He's ruined the LOTR's series... He's crippled King Kong to all hell. He's now working on making a video game to movie adaptation, which we all know is gonna suck in the end... all video games suck when going into a movie... and all movies suck when going into a video game... They can't be crossed over. They just can't.

A game's story is second to actions.
A movies story is second to nothing else.

Trying to gap the two is impossible.

Back to Jackson, though. KING KONG was an APE MAN... he wasn't a giant gorrilla. I hate the new Kong. He's not even as big. He's absurd looking. I really hope this movie bombs and Jackson looses all his stock in Hollywood.

Truth be told... the only movie he ever did that was good was BRAIN DEAD and maybe MEET THE FEEBLES "which wasn't all that good" I did like the 1st LOTR's it was decent... the other two just drug on and on and had nothing going for them.

Peter Jackson is a second rate George Lucass to me.

Have to disagree with you here Balt. I think Peter Jackson did what no other producer/director could have down with Tolkien's work. Honestly. His vision and craft brought the LOTR trilogy to the point where it's brilliant. To say he's a poor man's Lucas is a bit naive. You can't judge them unless they both switched roles and produced each other's movies. In my opinion, if you judge both the Star Wars trilogy and the LOTR trilogy, then Jackson comes on top...just. I'll give Lucas thumbs up for creating the universe of Star Wars and for Episode III which was great. But what Jackson and his writers did for the Tolkien series is indisputable. He didn't squander a mass of money on a Hollywood blitz, he created a truely believeable world. Turning New Zealand into Middle Earth itself.

Of course, these are all opinions. I can't comment on King Kong, and I'm not a fan of the previous movies.  I have enjoyed previous works by Jackson (Heavenly Creatures, Brain Dead, Frighteners) and I'll think he'll create a good Halo movie that will sweep the box office when it opens (and will be a pretty darn good movie too).

I think you guys are getting caught up in a lot of hype... Scripts are always good but when filmed things change, ask the Saw director how much his film changed because of budget.

I hope like you guys that halo turns out special but I can't help but think since Pete is only a producer that whoever directs may screw it up as Scorsese was Producer on a few terrible films and he's hailed as a legend in the business so I doubt as producer it matter to anyone.

Why not just let Pete direct it? After Kong this month he's got an open schedule I believe.

It wouldn't surprise me if Pete decides to direct it...unless he's got "The Hobbit" up under his sleave...

Peter Jackson's next movie is something completely different: it is based on a novel called "Lonely Bones" I believe, and is about a young, teenage girl that is raped and murdered by her neighbor and then narrates the events of her killer being caught from heaven.  No, if there is one man to do the job, I would agree with what was written in the Latino Review article: James Cameron.  It would almost be like Cameron directing a sequel to "Aliens," except with enough things changed to stand out as its own film.  Another idea I heard from a friend of mine was why not have Garland re-team with "28 days later..." director Danny Boyle?  He brought such a ferocity to "28 days," that I'm sure he could do wonders with a "Halo" movie.  

Don't know... just random, fanboy dreams.

Guillermo del Toro has been offered the job as director. Right now he is trying to decide between making Halo or continue with Hellboy 2. I wonder which one he will pick?

http://iesb.net/sony2006/010506.php

Indeed I do not want a movie made about Halo, at all!!!   But the bible thingy from Bungie makes me wonder if it will be the turning point in Game Movies.  It seems to me that Companies just sell off their Game's Name and Characters to be put together by some guy who has never played the game to become a huge ball of flaming crap!  If I made a game that was good and made money, it would become my baby.  Therefor if Microsoft was to sell my baby off to be made into a movie, I would write a HUGE bible for the Film makers to follow, I would be on set everyday to make sure my baby wasn't made into a Huge Flaming Ball of Crap!  The game makers need to be more involved!  That is the key to make a good Game Movie!

Some bad news. JoBlo reports that in a recent interview with GameSetWatch, novelist/screenwriter DB Weiss confirmed he has just been hired to pen "an entirely new second draft" of the film, Garland's script looking like it has been dumped.

-Zavier

From what I heard they hated the first draft of the script (They being Microsoft) eventhough someone purchased the script.

So does Alex Garland lose the $4 million he was paid to write it?  

If not, Microsoft is retarded with their money.  And Garland is an amazing writer.  If his screenplay wasn't good enough, no one's will be.  

The director has officially been announced by Universal Pictures. Neill Blomkamp will direct the Halo motion picture.

He is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and original artists currently working in short films and commercial advertising.  

More info here.

-Zavier

Oh man! I was hoping Uwe Boll would get this one.




That was a joke. I don't know though...can't really say anything cause I've never seen any of the guys work and the video link on that site won't work for me...

Oh well. We'll see.

-Chris

I have a feeling that this film will be run more by the producers than the director.  I think the director is only going to be there in name, because I can't see this guy having the final word over Peter Jackson.

So I think it will be more like a Peter Jackson film than this new guy.

That's probably why a bunch of directors dropped out because the producers were the ones running the show.