Peter Jackson to produce "Halo"

It's official, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are set to executive produce an upcoming movie based on an XBox video game. Say what??

Here's an excerpt of the announcement:
Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing for Xbox at Microsoft, reiterated today's announcement from Universal Studios that triple Academy Award winners Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as the executive producers of "Halo," the upcoming feature film based on Microsoft's phenomenally popular video game. This unique alliance between Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, Microsoft, and Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh promises a step forward in motion picture production. "Halo" will benefit from the experience and resources of the film studios, from Microsoft's groundbreaking vision and from Jackson's and Walsh's creative sensibilities and expertise in both traditional filmmaking and the world of emerging digital technologies.

As well as contributing to its production, Jackson will also lend the use of his Weta film studio to work on the special effects. Like Jackson, Weta has previously worked on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and this Christmas's King Kong.

The Halo film, due out in 2007, is the product of a script by Alex Garland ("28 Days Later", "The Beach"), who was paid $1 million for his work, and was shopped around to various film studios earlier this year before Universal and 20th Century Fox agreed a deal to work on it collaboratively with Microsoft.

The two film studios will split the revenues equally, while paying Microsoft $5 million and 10 per cent of the film's gross.

What is there to create a movie on Halo? Its a freakin' shooter game. The story is ok and nothing captivating..

--Ranjan

Ranjan, you could say the exact same thing about "Doom" but that comes out soon.

I guess we can finally see movies that have more CGI than the games they are based upon, Yipee.

Videogame plot + Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson = 100% pure poop. Have they learned nothing from "Wing Commander"? Next up is "Halo". The fact that Jackson is producing it, intrigues me, however, I can't think of one videogame adapted movie, that was worth the price of admission. But, that's not to say that Jackson won't be able to pull it off.


- Josh 8)

Tomb Raider was good, well Lara was good ;)

Scotster =oP

I actually wonder how King Kong will translate to the screen.

In some ways, I fear some people may have unfairly put a veneer of invincibility on Peter Jackson. Sure he was capable in his adaptation of LOTR, but that's really just ONE project. He could really screw things up. Even people like Spielberg have made some crappy movies over the years.

So just because PJ is actively involved in a project doesn't mean it will be good! And you probably can't say it will 'probably' be good either! In statistical analysis, a test done with too few samples will yield inaccurate results. Same here.

Not to be overly critical, but didn't you just mention him in the same sentence as Alone in the Dark? :p;) Just messing you with.

This could very well be the first video game-inspired movie that might not suck. With Jackson's sensibilities, I don't see him putting his name on something that might be mentioned in the same sentence as "Alone in the Dark".

I've read some of the Halo novels, and though they're not "deep," they are incredibly entertaining!

The roots of Halo's protagonist, Master Chief, and how the story of Halo came about is quite exciting: now I'm too lazy to write a good summary, but it involves an advanced alien race (though in some ways more backwards than humans), politics & ethics related the Spartan program (which created supersoldiers like Master Chief), and a whole lot of cool fighting stories.

I hope they pull it off and make it at least an entertaining yet believable story on film.

"Lord of the Rings" was great, but Jackson looks like he can't go beyond those movies' artistry.

Jackson was making good movies before LoTR, but it's fair to say they were all B-movies (except the overrated Heavenly Creatures). But "Dead Alive" is one of the best gore flicks ever made, probably the best, and "Bad Taste" is a tribute to its title. "Forgotten Silver" is evidence of a very sharp wit. "Meet the Feebles" - well, it's one of the best muppet porn films you'll ever see.

PJ has shown he can take the time to do a project right, so he should be able to take the world of a game, make up a story, and execute.
"Team Jackson" has proved they can do a lot of really good things.
Also bad things (ie: "Heavenly Creatures", endings(no Sauraman), and that adolescent "Mouth of Sauron" thing).
Still, the good things far outstrip the bad. They have good writing, lots of imagination, top tier- elite CGI, and loads of experience.
Still, each project is different.