Fox And Universal Say Goodbye To Halo Movie

Master_of_Tumbleweeds writes "20th Century and Universal Pictures, the two studios that agreed to co-finance the film adaptation of Microsoft's Halo video game, have abruptly pulled out of the project. This leaves executive producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh without financing or distribution. A ballooning budget (rumored to have been closing in on the $200 Mil mark) and apparent lack of confidence in rookie feature film director Neill Blomkamp are being named the major culprits for Fox and Universal's decision."

What huh?

[iolaus]

Did I read that right? Did the movie studios just make a good decision?

dooms was great

[raffe]

I played doom before halo. Doom rocked it was...wait....movie???? Doom the movie sucked!

$200 million?!

[Rik Sweeney]

That film's going to be the most bloated Microsoft product yet!

Re:Glad

[gEvil (beta)]

Don't forget the lame videogame tie-in that would come out, too...

Good Move

[vjmurphy]

Spending 200 million on an untried director with a video-game property. Yep, I'd pull out quicker than you could say "Uwe Boll."

It has to be said...

[SethEaston]

This movie was DOOMed from the begining!

Don't worry, guys.

[Anonymous Coward]

No need to worry, everyone. This is Fox. I'm sure if enough of us buy the DVDs they'll realize their mistake and start making it again.

Re:I'd call this a smart move.

[Rik Sweeney]

At .2 billion, I can't blame them.

I can do better than that:

At .0002 trillion, I can't blame them.

Re:It has to be said...

[Anonymous Coward]

The cancellation set a QUAKE through Hollywood!

Nonstarter

[Shadow Wrought]

Once they named Paris Hilton to play Cortana I knew the movie wouldn't make it.

Re:Good Move

[ToxikFetus]

Yep, I'd pull out quicker than you could say "Uwe Boll."

ooo-weee? oh-weee? you-vee? oh crap....

Re:I'd call this a smart move.

[Reverend528]

.2 billion

Most of that budget was going towards film. After all, this was going to be the first movie shot entirely in slow motion.

Office on the Big Screen

[the_last_tmnt]

Meanwhile, talks with Miramax still continue on the upcoming Office 2003 movie adaptation.

Re:What huh?

[Amiga Lover]

> Did I read that right? Did the movie studios just make a good decision?

They left out the most important bit of news - Fox and Universal have now gone to Uwe Boll to get the movie made.

What I want to see...

[BenSchuarmer]

is a movie based on Free Cell. Think of the possibilities!!!

Re:Office on the Big Screen

[tygerstripes]

...with a working title of "Office Space".

Re:I'd call this a smart move.

[Volante3192]

Thought that was Baywatch: The Movie, which got Pamela Anderson her acting Oscar.

I don't get it

[tygerstripes]

Why don't they trust Peter Jackson to make this work? I mean, LotR wasn't a great game, but what a movie he made out of it!

I've heard talk of book-adaptations, but that's just par for the course.

This Is Terrible

[thedbp]

I don't understand how they could have done this.

Now the world will be deprived of another in a long line of well-acted, brilliantly-written, and plot-heavy movies based on video games. After Doom and Super Mario Brothers, I thought it was obvious that all the major advancements in cinema were being made in films that exist as a footnote to a video game franchise.

THe world is now deprived of the incredibly complex artistic vision that would have been a movie based on a first-person shooter. Just think of all the philosophical and political discussions this movie could have motivated if it had come to fruition.

I, for one, am saddened and disheartened by this stunning loss to western culture.

Re:What huh?

[Dhalka226]

Did I read that right? Did the movie studios just make a good decision?

Yes. Rest assured their lawyers are working diligently on who to sue so such a good decision never happens again.

Re:I'd call this a smart move.

[Drizzt Do'Urden]

What you can see here is that Big Boobs Works(TM)

Re:I'd call this a smart move.

[soft_guy]

Long story short, Jackson would have to prove that a video game movie would appeal to a wide enough audience to justify comparing it to King Kong

I thought King Kong was a video game movie [wikipedia.org].

Re:i have to disagree with you somewhat.

[Hoi Polloi]

Video game movies are bad ideas. The game is made for interactive play with a story line usually tacked on out of obligation. I'm glad Fox wised up (now if they could just dump their news division). I suspect that some consultants are going to studio heads and pushing the "Look how video games have become a $x billion dollar industry. Look at the demographics! You'd be a fool not to make crappy movies based on them." I'm surprised they aren't soing "World of Warcraft" or "Grand Theft Auto".

I'm still waiting for "Pac Man, The Movie" starring John Goodman as a man with an uncontrolable appetite who is literally haunted by ghosts from his past. Oh shit, I just spotted it on your list. Please god, send that asteroid now!

Re:I'd call this a smart move.

[Z1NG]

What I want to know is, where is "Minesweeper: The Movie". The story line in that game is phenomenal.

3 Bad Video Game Plots for $1

[patrixmyth]

Space Invaders-
Plot- Orderly flying aliens destroy New York City, floor by floor.
Stars- Jackie Chan, Shaquille O'Neal and love interest Paris Hilton.
Scene Take-
Shaq: Jackie, [mumble] aliens [mumble] have to [mumble] Wall Street.
(Jackie Chan begins climbing UN Building, swinging from flag to flag.)
Paris: I think the aliens are hot.

Breakout-
Plot- After construction fraud results in shoddy construction at a maximum security prison, a pair of wrongly convicted prisoners plot their escape on the handball court.
Stars- The Rock, Nicholas Cage, Dave Chapelle (who dies during the escape) and Bill Mahr as the bumbling warden.
Scene Take-
Chapelle: Are you two stupid? You don't think anyone's going to notice you knocking the damn back wall down? Forget this! I'm gonna go see if the warden needs any more weed.
The Rock: I don't want to do this, but the Warden's left me no other choice.
Nicholas Cage stares out window intently.
(Meanwhile in the Warden's office)
Mahr (on phone): New Rule! If the prisoners have multiple life terms, they must attend the buddhist prayer services, so they will come back here in their next life too!

Asteroids-
Plot: A giant asteroid is heading towards Earth and the only hope is a crack team of oil drillers.
Stars: Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and love interest Liv Tyler with Steve Buschemi as the lovable freak.
Scene- Oh wait, never mind....

   

Re:i have to disagree with you somewhat.

[omeomi]

* Duke Nukem: The Movie (TBA)

Ha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Man, I'm gonna start announcing Duke Nukem products that I have no serious intent or means to bring to market. Duke Nukem airlines, anyone? How about Duke Nukem cola?

Re:Good Move

[rk]

Maybe they should get Marty DiBergi to direct. He was the one who made those commercials where the little dog chases the covered wagon under the sink.

I think he made a documentary about some old heavy metal band, too.

Re:I'd call this a smart move.

[AKAImBatman]

Batman Begins: crap

You have a funny definition of "crap" there boy-o. Especially when you're talking about the only really good movie ever made about my namesake.

Re:i have to disagree with you somewhat.

[kbg]

No this is the ultimate Pac Man Movie :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWL6j0SvqV0 [youtube.com]

Re:I'd call this a smart move.

[Mattintosh]

The Rock has big boobs, and he was in Doom.