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Why Stuart Beattie believes his Halo film will work
It was widely presumed that Microsoft's plan to mount a movie adaptation of its hit Halo game series died when producer Peter Jackson and director Neill Blomkamp's proposed movie failed to come together.
But that hasn't stopped Pirates of the Caribbean writer Stuart Beattie, an avid gamer, from cooking up his own spec version of a Halo movie, which he wrote during the 2007 writers' strike, based on the "Fall of Reach" storyline from Eric Nyland's Halo prequel novel. Nor has it daunted Beattie, who has been trying fervently to get his Halo movie off the ground, complete with concept art (above).
"I just think it's an amazing story about this child that no one cares about and who cares for no one else, who kind of ends up saving all of humanity," Beattie said in a phone interview on Thursday while he was promoting G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. "So I just started calling, because I really believe a Halo movie would just be awesome, especially this Halo movie."
Beattie sent his script to Microsoft just because he wants them to make it so badly. Maybe Beattie should do more than just write the script. Blomkamp's movie doesn't seem to be happening, but for his part, Beattie is still a fledgling director: He makes his feature directorial debut with the upcoming futuristic war movie Tomorrow, When the War Began.
"It's not something I can direct right now, because it's a big $100 million-plus film," Beattie demurred. "Maybe in a few years, if things work with Tomorrow and if Tomorrow finds an audience, maybe one day, two or three movies later, I can get the reins of that and maybe direct that, because I would just love to see a Halo movie up there on screen. It's magnificent."
As a Halo fan, Beattie would be happy to see any other capable filmmaker put his script on screen. "I wouldn't want to stand in the way of it getting made, but I firmly believe that the first Halo movie needs to be the Fall of Reach story, because it sets up all the characters, the world, the Covenant, the big struggle between mankind and the aliens, all that stuff," he said. "So that's where my money is."
Audiences are still waiting to see if video games can actually become great movies. There may have been some arguably good ones, but few would say there has been a great one. Beattie believes it is just a matter of having folks who love video games making movies out of them. Just as Sam Raimi was the right man to make a Spider-Man movie because he loved the comic books, people who play Halo should be adapting the game to the screen.
"Once my generation of filmmakers start to get to that position where they allow us to make these big-budget films based on these video games, then we'll start to get some really great movies based on video games," Beattie said. "I think it's the same as books, [and] it's the same as comic books. I think not every video game should be made into a movie, just like not every book should be made into a movie. Not every comic book should, but certain ones definitely should, because they're so visual, the characters are so rich and the mythology is so vast that they should. Halo is definitely one of the shoulds."
To anyone who hasn't logged onto Xbox Live to fight multiplayer battles as Master Chief, Beattie explained his obsession with the source material. "It's massive," he said. "It's like our generation's Star Wars. The whole Halo nation that's out there, and a 100,000-year history of the Halo universe, it's just breathtaking and so much fun to play in that sandbox. I've read every book, played every game, every graphic novel. It's just a fun world to be in."
By nate9111 at 6:39 AM ON 07/17/09
Last good adaption???? DOnt get your hopes up
By XcceLL at 6:44 AM ON 07/17/09
I would love to see Halo on the bigscreen! Please make it happen.
By docmike at 8:06 AM ON 07/17/09
My questions are, Did Larry Niven ever get any royalties from the game company for using his Ringworld. Why don't they just make Ringworld the movie? That would be awesome!
By sfjase at 12:01 PM ON 07/17/09
Well, a Halo construct is much, much smaller than a Ringworld (the latter encircling a star and the former usually orbiting a planet), so I suppose any royalties would similarly be much, much smaller.
By IsoTek at 12:42 PM ON 07/17/09
@docmike....Agreed, I would love to see both a Ringworld and a Halo movie. Ringworld first though, to the master goes the priviledge.
I just wonder how good his script really is. Anyone can pimp their own material. A writer with this much confidence should allow us "The Fans" to view and critique it. If it is worthy it will hold up to the scrutiny levied against it.
By wdwyer at 1:10 PM ON 07/17/09
SCI-FI (SyFy) itself reported in 2004 that it was developing a Ringworld Miniseries. Yeah, how'd that go.
Look both Ringworld and Halo for all their similarities, and all their sci-fi popularity, are also both not in tune with the general masses. Halo is an awesome game. Ringworld is an awesome novel. But both have their own fanbase. For a movie of this nature to be successful, they need to bridge the masses, the general public. Most science-fiction movies cannot so this. Ringworld has been attempted for years. Halo is following suit, and finding out why Ringworld is having so much trouble going to the big screen. There just isn't enough interest to justify the amount of money it will take to bring them to life.
If I have to give the nod to one of them...it would be Halo, since the PR wagon is much fresher and is the most recent to try and push. I believe Halo would have the better chance at findign a foothold with the general masses.
Would I love to see either one? Oh yes. But is it likely? Not really.
By Xaqu at 1:34 PM ON 07/17/09
Here is the largest problem that I see with video games being made into movies - voice over. Unless you end up having an actor that played the voice in the video game actually look like the character in real life, most fans won’t be happy. Especially with a character like MC, who really only is a voice. As for Fall of Reach, you’ll have to keep Master Chief, Captain Jacob Keyes, etc. At least you can keep Cortana the same (seeing as she’s just a hologram anyways…).
I just know that if I walk into a theatre in the near future and I don’t hear Steve Downes’s voice, there will be no way to save the film!
By S.W. at 5:37 PM ON 07/17/09
People, if you want to see how a Halo movie could be done right then I only need to direct you to the following link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWaf8CVS6cg
By xxgatorxx at 10:03 PM ON 07/17/09
i am wary
i have yet to see a gd
game to movie
or
movie to game
that didnt suck
By S.W. at 11:47 PM ON 07/17/09
xxgatorxx,
This is ALMOST true. In my opinion there actually is a game that manages to disprove that theory, and that's the latest Ghostbusters game for the 360 & PS3.
By Dave at 2:23 AM ON 07/18/09
"It's like our generation's Star Wars."
WTF? He's older than I am. Star Wars is our generation's Star Wars.
By John at 5:01 AM ON 07/18/09
Neill Blomkamp is out?? Doesn't Beattie have any idea that Neill and Jackson are simply putting this movie on hold?
By HaLOLZ at 8:46 AM ON 07/18/09
Halo the star wars of this gen? HAHA NO! Halo games are ok but there no were Metal gear solid games are at. If you want a great story and fatasic gameplay go pick up the Metal Gear Solid series simply amazing in every game.
By D9117 at 1:03 PM ON 07/18/09
Blomkamp isn't attached to direct this film anymore? I thought he was simply putting it on reserve with Jackson due to District 9, and if that movie was successful, the studios will let them continue that project.
By Sanzee at 5:38 PM ON 07/18/09
Best part is? Sony fanboys support the PS3 by HATING the Xbox 360. Xbox fanboys support the Xbox 360 by LOVING the Xbox. Ain't that a shame? If only PS3 owners could take some time out to enjoy their console. Hating the Xbox and its devoted fanbase must get tiring.
By Mr S at 6:30 PM ON 07/18/09
xxgatorxx, what about Star Wars: Battlefront?
By xxgatorxx at 11:21 PM ON 07/18/09
havnt played ghostbusters but have hrd gd things now
still wary till i get a look see
battlefront mr s i have mixed feelings on
my son recently reminded me about spiderman the first movie adapt wasnt bad
i stand by what i said a game to movie and movie to game pretty much sucks handsdown everytime without fail....
doom anyone?
streetfighter,mariobros,etc
By Boomer at 2:03 AM ON 07/19/09
"""Best part is? Sony fanboys support the PS3 by HATING the Xbox 360. Xbox fanboys support the Xbox 360 by LOVING the Xbox. Ain't that a shame?"""
same with Reps and Dems.
dems being the xbox.
sorry, but you know its true.
and i support Reps slightly more.
if he finally DOES do the movie he should
start of with the movie based on The Fall of Reach.
thats just how it should be
or have a prequel explaining all the technological finds, and about the
Spartan Project I
(for all you people who didnt read the books MC was part of the Spartan II project.)
but thats just my opinion.
GG
:D
same with Reps and Dems.
dems being the xbox.
sorry, but you know its true.
and i support Reps slightly more.
if he finally DOES do the movie he should
start of with the movie based on The Fall of Reach.
thats just how it should be
or have a prequel explaining all the technological finds, and about the
Spartan Project I
(for all you people who didnt read the books MC was part of the Spartan II project.)
but thats just my opinion.
GG
:D
By Jolimer at 4:41 AM ON 07/19/09
Halo is more than just a video game. The Halo universe is just as immense as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. This movie has had a lot of potential to become as successful as LotR if studios agreed to let Neill and Peter proceed with making it.
The true reason why this movie was delayed so many times is because Jackson wanted to make his film perfect. He wanted to amaze us with this epic film. But eventually, they ran into those financial problems(mostly due to the fact that Blomkamp was new and they did not trust him). If Peter Jackson would have agreed to direct, the movie would have come out by now. I believe that District 9 will truly predict whether or not Beattie will be at the helm, because the Halo movie is what got Jackson interested in Blomkamp in the first place.
If Peter and Neill really are not thinking about doing this film anymore at all, it is as good as dead. I would rather have no Halo movie than a terrible one being made by some hack director.
By Celesto at 5:14 PM ON 07/19/09
wanna see!
By Bryer at 12:52 AM ON 07/20/09
What story is this guy talking about? Cause it sure isn't Halo. "I just think it's an amazing story about this child that no one cares about and who cares for no one else, who kind of ends up saving all of humanity," Makes no sense to me what he said there.
By Himmalian at 3:01 AM ON 07/20/09
He's talking about the origins of the Master Chief. He started off as a young boy and was taken for the Spartan program. The book he is adapting his script to is based on that.
By Infurno at 1:55 PM ON 07/21/09
correct me if I'm wrong..but why do they need a writer? whats wrong with the story thats already been written, has sold Millions of games and books?
I can never understand why they don't get the fact that a story that has done so well doesn't need to be changed. I'm an avid Halo player, and I know I'd be more then content then watching a movie based on exactly what happens in the game...it doesn't need to be re-written!!!! get that through your thick skulls producers/writers/directors!!!!
By Himmalian at 4:39 PM ON 07/21/09
The original Halo script was based off the first game. The new one is based off the book which is the prequel to the first game.
By Lea at 7:32 AM ON 07/22/09
I'm about the biggest halo fan you'll find on this continent (europe) and I have been against a Halo movie from the beginning, but for once, i actually find myself agreeing!
If he can pull this off, it'll be a kick in the backside for all those crappy game-movies that are out there.
I beg though, that he uses the same voiceactors. Please.... don't make the mistake everyone else made by using different voices, It destroys a game-movie no matter how good the screenplay is.
By wdwyer at 8:06 AM ON 07/22/09
@ Infurno: Of course it needs to be re-written. They need a story that will fit within a 2 hours time span. Plus they need to add all the crap that the empty suits will want. Money makes the world go round.
---
Anyway, it still comes down to Halo or Ringworld not being big with the general masses. If you want a big budget picture, you need to have more than just a video game / Novel fan base. Neither have that. Which is why sometimes they lean on big name / flavor of the month directors or actors. Except that still doesn't mean it always works out. DOOM anyone?
As for the voices, don't get too hung up on the VG voices. They could possibly get away with MC, having that voice under the mask. But with all VG movies with masked characters, the said mask will eventually come off. (Darth Vader). Which makes the perfect excuse to use the actors voice then.
Transformers 1 and 2 used Optimus Prime's original actor voice, but didn't use Megatron's.
Everyone had their own opinion of which actor could portray Wolverine, in the X-Men movies. Hugh Jackman wasn't on everyone's lips at the time. Looking back, I can't imagine the character played by anyone else now (regardless of how bad I think the movies are.) It just goes to show, voices and images can be changed. Your not going to please everyone.
I mean if they can get a big name actor for the role of MC, they are not going to cover their face and change their voice for heaven's sake.
By General Vagueness at 12:45 PM ON 08/10/09
For the record, the Halo installations are much more like the things described in Iain M. Banks's books than the Ringworld series-- same general size and orbiting a planet rather than a star. Also for the record "The Fall of Reach" (the book) is not exactly a prequel or spin-off or cash-in, it was released a few days before the first game.
The script as it stands would have the whole first movie be about the Master Chief's early life and the Human-Covenant War up to the Battle of Reach, and I feel having a Halo movie that doesn't focus on a Halo would just be wrong, and the story of the first Halo game is much more known. I think it should include plenty of stuff from before but focus on events starting with the Pillar of Autumn finding Installation 04 (the first Halo we see). Also if anyone turns the Flood into standard zombies but from space and with a different name they'd better look out-- I don't need an energy sword to stab them.
By General Vagueness at 12:56 PM ON 08/10/09
"I mean if they can get a big name actor for the role of MC, they are not going to cover their face and change their voice for heaven's sake."
They had better, or I and many, many others will not pay to see it.
Also humanizing him (which showing his face would do) kind of runs counter to many of the themes of the story.
By General Vagueness at 1:00 PM ON 08/10/09
One more thing, it doesn't set up all the characters. "All" of the characters aren't even introduced until most of the way through the last game. Notably 343 Guilty Spark is met on the first Halo we come to and is a fairly big character who appears in (and affects) the next two games.
By jkmit at 10:57 AM ON 08/28/09
I think I figured out how they could make the halo movie without ever showing the master chief's face. they could do something like how Rockstar Games did GTA III. you know, it was a huge hit, yet the main character never said a word.
Visit mobile.syfy.com/wire on your mobile device.
jkmit:
I think I figured out how they could make the halo movie without ever showing the master chief's face. they could d...More »