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| {{Title|''Halo'' film}} | | {{Title|''Halo'' film}} |
| {{Status|RealWorld}} | | {{Era|RW}} |
| [[File:Halofilm.jpg|thumb|The image released alongside Bungie's announcement of the ''Halo'' film in 2004.]] | | {{references}} |
| {{Quote|If we ever make a Halo movie, who would you want to write it?" I asked [[Martin O'Donnell|Marty]] as we exited the theater, "I bet that Garland guy would be all over the [[Flood]].|[[Joseph Staten]], after watching ''[[wikipedia:28 Days Later|28 Days Later]]''.{{Ref/Site|Id=GreatJourney|URL=https://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?cid=6403|Site=Bungie.net|Page=The Great (Hollywood) Journey|D=07|M=02|Y=2021}}}}
| | {{Grammar}} |
| The '''''Halo'' film''', officially confirmed in [[2005 (real world)|2005]],{{Ref/Site|Id=BBC|URL=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4181000.stm|Site=BBC News|Page=Halo game set for silver screen|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}} was a film project in development until its ultimate cancellation in [[2006]].{{Ref/Site|Id=HaloHolding|URL=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/10/31/halo-holding|Site=IGN|Page=Halo Holding|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}} The film, intended to be produced by [[Peter Jackson]] and Fran Walsh and directed by [[Neill Blomkamp]] was postponed indefinitely when funding studios [[wikipedia:20th Century Fox|20th Century Fox]] and [[wikipedia:Universal Studios|Universal Pictures]] pulled out due to monetary concerns.{{Ref/Reuse|IndieWire}}
| | [[File:Halowood.gif|right]] |
| | Rumors of a '''''Halo'' film''' had been circulating since release of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. However, in [[2004]], it was officially confirmed by [[Bungie]] that a film project was in development. While the movie was intended to be handled by 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures, both pulled out due to monetary concerns in October of [[2006]] - postponing the film indefinitely until new distributors could be found. The Halo movie was to be filmed in live action with considerable CG special effects. Wingnut Films, the team behind ''Lord of the Rings'' and ''King Kong'', were also to be a part of the project. Before it was delayed, it was revealed that the film would have been shot in Wellington, New Zealand, and was slated for a summer [[2009]] release.<ref>[http://comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=15944 '''Coming Soon.net''': ''Halo Director Announced!'']</ref> To keep the producers true to the ''Halo'' Universe, Bungie prepared an exhaustive encyclopedia, the "Halo Compendium", known affectionately as the [[Halo Story Bible]]. This condensed account described the total fiction of ''Halo'', including games, novels, characters, species and vessels. The ''Halo 3'' promotional ''[[Halo: Landfall|Landfall]]'' series directed by Neill Blomkamp was considered a test of viewer interest in a possible ''Halo'' movie.<ref name="Part1">[http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?story=greathollywoodjourney1&p=4542384 '''Bungie.net''': ''The Great (Hollywood) Journey, Part One'']</ref> |
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| When plans for the film eventually fell through, Jackson and Blomkamp instead started production on ''[[wikipedia:District 9|District 9]]''. Many elements from the cancelled ''Halo'' film were re-used or adapted for ''District 9'', including the basic [[Warthog]] and [[Pod infector]] designs.
| | ==Production notes== |
| | {{quote|If we ever make a Halo movie, who would you want to write it?" So, I asked [[Martin O'Donnell|Marty]] as we exited the theater, "I bet that Garland guy would be all over the [[Flood]].|[[Joseph Staten]] mentioned the aforesaid after seeing ''[[wikipedia:28 Days Later|28 Days Later]]''.}} |
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| ==Development==
| | [[Peter Jackson]], a ''Halo'' fan, was confirmed as executive producer for the film.<ref>http://youtube.com/watch?v=KlwmSfiaTJ4</ref> While it was assumed that he would also direct, the announcement of [[Neill Blomkamp]] as director proved that speculation as false. Jackson said he was tired after spending so much time on ''King Kong'', and that ''Halo'' would have been a break. Blomkamp was known as an acclaimed director of short films and commercials. He has also won Clios and a Visual Effects Society Award, was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on James Cameron's TV series ''Dark Angel'', and directed the Oscar-nominated ''District 9'', produced by Peter Jackson. |
| [[File:Neill Blomkamp.jpg|thumb|150px|Neill Blomkamp.]] | |
| ===Early origins===
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| Discussions for a potential ''Halo'' film began in early [[2002]], shortly after the release of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and in the early preproduction stages of ''[[Halo 2]]''. At this time, Hollywood began getting in contact with Bungie staff, surprising the development team with just how far their game's success had reached. Ultimately, these early talks didn't amount to much, as film production for game adaptations at the time was expected to see Bungie have almost nothing to do with the film, with creative control entirely ceded to the filming crew. As such, [[Pete Parsons]] urged [[Joseph Staten]] to put the film on the backseat, as any time spent on a film project would be time taken away from [[Development of Halo 2|developing ''Halo 2'']] - a production which would soon become an infamous development hell.{{Ref/Reuse|GreatJourney}}
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| Toward the end of ''Halo 2''{{'}}s development, Parsons introduced Staten to Peter Schlessel (the former president of Columbia Pictures) to discuss a ''Halo'' film, though Schlessel was dubious about the idea. Instead, Schlessel urged Bungie to finance a script themselves, and provided a shortlist of writers for consideration - intending for Bungie to get their script together and then pitch it to Hollywood to be picked up. Staten and [[Martin O'Donnell]] had seen ''28 Days Later'' a few months prior during a trip to Los Angeles to record ''Halo 2'' voice dialogue, and thus were excited to see the film's writer, [[Wikipedia:Alex Garland|Alex Garland]], on Schlesser's list - having previously speculated that Garland would be perfect for writing a story with the [[Flood]]. A phone call with Garland to discuss potential high-level ideas for a film saw Garland offer to visit the Bungie offices in Seattle, and work began in earnest on creating a script for a ''Halo'' film.{{Ref/Reuse|GreatJourney}} In February 2005, Creative Artists Agency confirmed that Microsoft had completed a million dollar deal to sign Alex Garland to write the ''Halo'' screenplay to be offered around to studios.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://variety.com/2005/digital/markets-festivals/halo-hollywood-1117917399/|Site=Variety|Page=Halo, Hollywood|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}}
| | In August 2009 Neill Blomkamp claimed the budget for the movie was around $120 million.<ref>http://movieblog.ugo.com/movies/district-9-neill-blomkamp-interview</ref> |
| | He also stated that ""In regards to Halo, my involvement is probably dead, I don't want it and if they came back and offered it to me I'd say no."<ref>http://movies.ign.com/articles/101/1018543p1.html</ref> |
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| Following the release of ''[[Halo 2]]'', [[Joseph Staten]] took a backseat on the ''Halo'' game development to recover from the stress the project had put him through. At this time, around 2005, he began to work with [[Ensemble Studios]] on their upcoming [[Titan (canceled game)|''Halo'' MMO]] and ''[[Halo Wars]]'' projects, alongside writing ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'' and becoming the general franchise manager for ''Halo''{{'}}s extended universe. This role saw Staten head up on the new ''Halo'' movie project - which saw Staten take a minimal role on ''[[Halo 3]]'' for most of the game's [[Development of Halo 3|development]].{{Ref/Reuse|VICE}}
| | ===Script=== |
| | [[File:Halo Script.jpg|thumb|right|A piece of the alleged script.]] |
| | {{quote|Where the Master Chief doesn't have a face...That's hard to carry as a main character for an entire film. But you can certainly surround him with people who don't have helmets on and you can see their faces.|Joseph Staten}} |
| | A website called ''LatinoReview.com'' has posted a [http://www.latinoreview.com/script-reviews/halo-1 script review] of the upcoming ''Halo'' movie; [http://rampancy.net/blog/narcogen/01122005/halo_film_script_a_convincing_adaptation Rampancy.net] asserts that it's credible; however, Bungie has said the story is not complete. |
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| ===Collaboration with Peter Jackson===
| | Joseph Staten has said before that what would have been the "final" script for the film, would have had the Master Chief as a secondary character, taking a back seat to others for storytelling purposes.<ref>[http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2008/01/15/exclusive-bungie-gives-level-up-insight-into-the-stalled-halo-movie.aspx Staten interview.]</ref> |
| The ''Halo'' film was born of a collaboration between Bungie and [[WingNut Interactive]], a studio founded by Peter Jackson who expressed interest in creating a ''Halo'' game. At the time of Bungie becoming independent from Microsoft in [[2007]], a contract was agreed upon in which Bungie would provide three more ''Halo'' games, in return for their independence - these three games were ''Halo 3'', a mainline sequel which eventually turned into ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' and ''[[Halo: Chronicles]]'' - which would be produced alongside Peter Jackson and WingNut. Jackson visited Bungie's offices in [[2005]] to speak with Staten and [[Paul Bertone]], with the rest of the team focused on what the successor to ''Halo 3'' was going to be. Later on, Staten and Bertone visited Jackson in New Zealand to plan out the ''Chronicles'' prototype - during which discussions the ideas of the ''Halo'' film circulated more.{{Ref/Site|Id=VICE|URL=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xwqjg3/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history#ulf-1|Site=VICE|Page=The Complete, Untold Story of Halo|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| Garland's screenplay was completed later in the year, and on June 6 a stunt was performed in which a series of actors dressed as Master Chief were driven to the various studios in Hollywood with a copy of the ''Halo'' script and terms for the deal. This was done by Microsoft, new to the film industry, in an attempt to dazzle the Hollywood executives - which succeeded in making headlines.{{Ref/Site|Id=IGNDelivered|URL=http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/622/622951p1.html|Site=IGN|Page=Halo Movie Script Delivered|D=11|M=06|Y=2005}} Ultimately, these terms were seen as extremely heavy-handed, and showed how unfamiliar Microsoft was in dealing with the medium of film.{{Ref/Site|Id=Wired|URL=https://www.wired.com/2012/04/halo-movie-generation-xbox/|Site=Wired|Page=Why the Halo Movie Failed to Launch|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}}
| | In this version of the script, Captain Keyes is mentioned. This was probably referring to [[Jacob Keyes]] and not his daughter, [[Miranda Keyes|Miranda]]. Evidence in the leaked dialog share a striking resemblance to the opening cinematic of ''Combat Evolved''. ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'' writer Stuart Beattie wrote an alternate script during the [[wikipedia:2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike|2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike]]. This draft was to be an adaptation of [[Eric Nylund]]'s novel ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''. As a defining moment in the history of the [[Human-Covenant War]], Stuart felt Reach was a natural place to introduce ''Halo'' to a wider audience:<ref>http://www.reelzchannel.com/movie-news/3917/a-halo-script-is-out-there-and-ready-to-be-made</ref> |
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| For the rights to a film production, Microsoft expected to be paid a $10 million fee as well as the studio's agreement to adhere to guidelines set by the game's developers.{{Ref/Reuse|IGNDelivered}} Microsoft also wanted the studio to seek approval over the director and cast. In addition, Microsoft sought full merchandising rights for itself, a minimum $75 million budget, and company representatives' full access to the film's rough cuts in Los Angeles. Most potential studios - namely Paramount, DreamWorks, Sony, and Warner Bros. - did not want to cede creative rights to the film and passed over the project.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=9de0f087-25f9-4103-9eef-1b79b3c7ab08|Site=E! Online|Page=Hollywood's Halo Effect|D=01|M=10|Y=2007}}
| | {{Article quote|"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. 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."}} |
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| Ultimately, 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios entered negotiations with Microsoft to divide the distribution rights to ''Halo''. The original $10 million deal was reduced based on the studios' negative response to the exorbitant price tag. All negotiating parties eventually agreed upon a deal to produce the ''Halo'' film; it was decided that Universal would distribute domestically, and take sales from the U.S. box office, while Fox would take the international distribution - with both co-financing the film. The studios agreed to give Microsoft $5 million to option the film, and 10% of grosses.{{Ref/Site|Id=IndieWire|URL=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/it-was-a-clusterfuck-from-day-one-6-things-about-neill-blomkamps-failed-halo-movie-20120419?page=1|Site=IndieWire|Page="It Was A Clusterfuck From Day One": 5 Things About Neill Blomkamp's Failed 'Halo' Movie|D=29|M=07|Y=2015}}
| | While a Halo ''theatrical'' film has been postponed, the 75-minute ''Special Edition'' cut of ''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]'' marks the first feature-length film set in the ''Halo'' universe. Financed directly by Microsoft and originally released as a five-part web miniseries in October-November 2012, ''Forward Unto Dawn'' was released as a direct to DVD/Bluray motion picture on December 4, 2012. |
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| On August 22, 2005, the deal was announced to be finalized, with summer 2007 as the target release date.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117927889.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1|Site=Variety|Page=Halo makes a date|D=07|M=01|Y=2007}} On October 4, Bungie announced their partnership with Peter Jackson, alongside Universal Studios' producers Mary Parent and Scott Stuber.{{Ref/Site|Id=Gorilla|URL=https://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?cid=6788|Site=Bungie.net|Page=10,000 Pound Gorilla|D=05|M=02|Y=2021}} It was later revealed that the film would have been shot in [[wikipedia:Wellington|Wellington]], New Zealand.{{Ref/Reuse|BBC}}
| | ===Timeline=== |
| | <!--NOTE: Some sources may no longer exist due to the ages of these reported events.--> |
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| In July 2006, author [[wikipedia:D. B. Weiss|D. B. Weiss]] announced that he was working on his second draft of the new script for ''Halo'', which contained elements of the project's original screenplay by Alex Garland.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/07/gamesetinterview_db_weiss.php|Site=GameSetWatch|Page=GameSetInterview: Halo Screenwriter DB Weiss|D=28|M=08|Y=2021}} Other screenwriters, namely [[wikipedia:Scott Frank|Scott Frank]] and [[wikipedia:Josh Olson|Josh Olson]] were also attached to the rewriting of Garland's script. | | *'''Summer of 2002''' With the success of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', Hollywood producers voice interest about making a ''Halo'' movie. Concerns over creative control sunk the idea, "thanks but no thanks" said Joseph Staten.<ref name="Part1"/> |
| | *'''2004 before ''[[Halo 2]]'' launch''' A Hollywood player, Peter Schlessel starts to meet with Bungie staff to discuss movie plans. He proposes that instead of leaving it up to Hollywood, "''Finance the script yourselves, Hire a writer, have him write something you love, then bring it to Hollywood with a simple message: This is the movie we want to make. Who wants to make it with us?''". On the list of Schlessel approved writers is Alex Garland, who Bungie pick for reasons listed in above article. |
| | *'''February 3, 2005''' Creative Artists Agency confirmed that Microsoft had completed a million-dollar deal with Alex Garland to write a screenplay based on the video game series ''Halo'', which would then be offered to studios.<ref>[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleID=VR1117917399&cs=1&p=0&s=h '''Variety.com''': ''Halo, Hollywood'']</ref> |
| | *'''June 7, 2005''' Microsoft released Garland's completed screenplay to various Hollywood studios on June 7, 2005, looking to be paid a $10 million fee as well as the studio's agreement to adhere to guidelines set by the game's developers<ref>[http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/622/622951p1.html '''IGN''': ''Halo Movie Script Delivered'']</ref>. Microsoft also wanted the studio to seek approval over the director and cast. In addition, Microsoft sought full merchandising rights for itself, a minimum $75 million budget, and company representatives' full access to the film's rough cuts in Los Angeles. Studios like Paramount, DreamWorks, Sony, and Warner Bros. did not want to cede creative rights to the film and passed over the project.<ref>[http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=9de0f087-25f9-4103-9eef-1b79b3c7ab08 '''E! Online''': ''Hollywood's Halo Effect'']</ref> |
| | *'''June 2005''' 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios entered negotiations with Microsoft to divide the distribution rights of ''Halo''. The original $10 million deal was reduced based on the studios' negative response to the exorbitant price tag. In the negotiations, Universal gained rights to release the film in North America, where Fox would distribute the film overseas. On August 22, 2005, Microsoft's deal with the studios was announced to be finalized, with summer 2008 as the target release date.<ref>[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117927889?categoryid=1238&cs=1&s=h&p=0 '''Variety''': ''Halo makes a date'']</ref> |
| | *'''October 4, 2005''' [[Bungie]] Studios announced that director Peter Jackson was signed onto the project as an executive producer.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?story=biggorilla&p=4955829 '''Bungie.net''': ''The Great Hollywood Journey, Part II'']</ref> |
| | *'''July 13, 2006''' Author D.B. Weiss revealed in an interview that he was writing the screenplay for ''Halo''. At the time of the interview, Weiss said that he was working on his second draft of the new script, which contained elements of the project's original screenplay by Alex Garland.<ref>[http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/07/gamesetinterview_db_weiss.php '''GameSetWatch''': ''GameSetInterview: Halo Screenwriter DB Weiss'']</ref> |
| | *'''August 2006''' Neill Blomkamp is picked by Jackson as the director of the ''Halo'' movie. |
| | *'''October 20, 2006''' Universal and Fox pull out of the deal<ref>[http://palgn.com.au/article.php?title=Fox+and+Universal+dump+Halo+movie&id=5603&sid=b4877aa8c4590dc1f4dc673abcf2689b http://palgn.com.au/article.php]</ref>. A representative of Peter Jackson and [[Fran Walsh]] said: |
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| A few weeks after Bungie's meeting with Jackson in New Zealand, Guillermo del Toro was signed on to direct with Jackson producing, though del Toro's involvement ultimately fell through and he was replaced by Neill Blomkamp.{{Ref/Reuse|VICE}} An interview with del Toro conducted in August 2005 mentioned that the director was excited for ''Halo'' due to finding the series' setting and protagonist of the Master Chief interesting in a way that other video game films weren't - though also added that he was early in the pre-production stages for ''Hellboy II'', and thus considered it his first priority, adding that if the option were still available once ''Hellboy'' had finished he would still be open to make ''Halo''.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/del-toro-caught-halo-hellboy/|Site=Empire|Page=Del Toro Caught Between Halo And Hellboy|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
| | {{Article quote|''Universal, on behalf of both studios, asked for a meeting with the filmmakers just prior to the due date of a significant payment. Basically, they said that in order to move forward with the film, the filmmakers had to significantly reduce [the percentage of profits they would receive from the film]. They waited until the last minute to have this conversation. Peter and Fran, after speaking with their producing partners and with Microsoft and Bungie, respectfully declined.''}} |
| | The source article also stated that work is apparently continuing on the film (which will be directed by Neill Blomkamp) and that Microsoft is already in talks with other distributors. |
| | *'''October 31, 2006''' Producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, along with Microsoft, are putting the much-anticipated ''Halo'' movie into production hell, or where a film has stopped in the production stage. Following recent reports that development of the film would continue in spite of studio backers Fox and Universal dropping out, a press release being distributed by Jackson's WingNut Films today confirms that ''Halo'' is being indefinitely postponed. Here's their statement regarding the film, sure to be greeted with howls of discontent by fans: |
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| Blomkamp's involvement was announced in August 2006, with the caveat that he would direct for a smaller fee - despite Microsoft wanting Jackson to direct. Ultimately, Jackson's more direct involvement would cost much more money - with Jackson's fees already running into several millions of dollars. During this time, Universal funded $12 million for the film's development - a portion of which was spent by del Toro during his tenure with concept art produced. This concept art was stated by Blomkamp to be something he was confident Bungie were happy with, though Microsoft became worried the material was too unconventional for the summer blockbuster they wanted. Ultimately, del Toro went on to make ''Hellboy II: The Golden Army'' and the rest of the money was spent on the new screenwriters and a watch for Peter Jackson.{{Ref/Reuse|Wired}}
| | {{Article quote|"As was previously confirmed, we deeply regret that both Universal and Fox did not choose to move forward with financing the Halo film under the original terms of the agreement. At this time Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, along with their partner, Microsoft, have mutually agreed to postpone making a feature film based on the Halo video game universe until we can fulfill the promise we made to millions of Halo fans throughout the world that we would settle for no less than bringing a first class film to the big screen. We are fully supportive of Director Neill Blomkamp's vision of the film. Neill is a tremendously gifted filmmaker and his preliminary work on Halo is truly awe-inspiring. While it will undoubtedly take a little longer for Halo to reach the big screen, we are confident that the final feature film will be well worth the wait."}} |
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| ===Cancellation===
| | *'''May 21, 2007''' In an interview with Cinematical.com, Peter Jackson stated that he expected the project to continue soon, once the movie studios "catch a glimpse of the ''Halo'' hype first-hand" (with the release of ''[[Halo 3]]'').<ref>Erik Davis (2007-05-26). Peter Jackson on ''Halo'', ''The Hobbit'', and ''Dambusters''</ref>. |
| In January 2006, Universal's chairman Stacey Snider stepped down from her role, though Universal agreed to honour their existing contract on the film. This involved Peter Jackson taking a significant chunk of the budget as his pay, with Microsoft promised another 10% of the payout. Later in September 2006, Fox co-chairmen Tom Rothman Jim Gianopoulos were stated to have been worried about the glacial pace of development and spiralling costs - with no completed script to show for it. Fox ultimately called for a meeting to express these concerns, with rumours saying that News Corp. CEO Peter Chernin called upon Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to remove Universal from the project entirely.{{Ref/Reuse|Vulture}}
| | *'''July 5, 2007''' Unconfirmed rumors began to circulate that 20th Century Fox would pickup rights with the movie, however they were never confirmed, putting the development of the ''Halo'' movie in question, once again. |
| | *'''October 4, 2007''' ''Halo'' Movie is announced dead by director Neil Blomkamp.<ref>http://www.bitsofnews.com/content/view/6240</ref> |
| | *'''October 5, 2007''' [[Frank O'Connor]] says in an interview with ''[[wikipedia:Game Informer|Game Informer]]'' that "nobody can declare it [the film] dead except for the owner of the IP [Microsoft]" in response to Blomkamp's statement.<ref>http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200710/N07.1005.1034.54066.htm?Page=4</ref> |
| | *'''October 29, 2007''' Ken Kamins, Peter Jackson's representative, has confirmed in an interview that the ''Halo'' film is still in pre-production phase. "What happened was this: Universal, on behalf of both studios, asked for a meeting with the filmmakers just prior to the due date of a significant payment," says Kamins. "Basically, they said that in order to move forward with the film, the filmmakers had to significantly reduce their deals. They waited until the last minute to have this conversation. Peter and Fran, after speaking with their producing partners and with Microsoft and Bungie, respectfully declined." According to Kamins would-be director Blomkamp has not been dropped either, in spite of his earlier statements<ref>http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=174687</ref>: |
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| In October 2006, Universal were nearing another payment, prompting Rothman and Gianopoulos to insist that the first-dollar deals awarded to Jackson, Fran and Schlessel all be revoked - or Fox would walk.{{Ref/Reuse|Vulture}} Jackson consulted with Microsoft, his co-producers, and Blomkamp, but ultimately refused the deal. Universal and Fox subsequently removed themselves from the deal. Blomkamp and Jackson have both cited money and control as their main reasons to abandon production.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/best-films-never-made-neill-blomkamps-halo_b_3948316|Site=Huffington Post|Page=Best Films Never Made: Neill Blomkamp's Halo|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}} In response to these events, a representative of Jackson and Walsh stated;
| | {{Article quote|"Everybody is supremely confident in Neil. Part of what excited Peter and Fran was Neil's vision. We're very confident this film will move forward with the creative partners intact, who will take the film to production."}} |
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| {{Article quote|Universal, on behalf of both studios, asked for a meeting with the filmmakers just prior to the due date of a significant payment. Basically, they said that in order to move forward with the film, the filmmakers had to significantly reduce [the percentage of profits they would receive from the film]. They waited until the last minute to have this conversation. Peter and Fran, after speaking with their producing partners and with Microsoft and Bungie, respectfully declined.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/10/20/halo-movie-dumped|Site=IGN|Page=Halo Movie Dumped|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}}}}
| | *'''January 18, 2008''' Bungie mentions in its weekly update that the ''Halo'' movie is still on hold, but they posted pictures of armor and weapon replicas made by Weta's Workshop that were used in the ''[[Halo: Landfall]]'' short films.<ref>http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=13174</ref> |
| | *'''April 1, 2008''' G.I. Joe screenwriter Stuart Beattie says he wrote spec-scripts for three potential Halo films; first one being ''Halo: Fall of Reach'', second being ''Halo: The Rise of the Flood'', and last one being ''Halo: The Battle of Earth''. Initially expected to be an April Fools joke, it was later confirmed to be genuine, though he was working in an unofficial capacity.<ref>http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-halo-movie-has-reach-4305</ref> |
| | *'''July 21, 2008''' Microsoft Game Studios Phil Spencer and vice president of Strategy and Business Development Shane Kim say in a video interview that they are still in discussions with various potential partners and that there continues to be tremendous interest. Quoted from the video: "We wanna make sure, whenever we translate it to the big screen that its going to be a movie worthy of the IP (intellectual property). So we’re going to be very careful about how we proceed there."<ref>http://kotaku.com/5027298/phil-spencer-and-shane-kim-talk-halo</ref> |
| | *'''August 4, 2008''' Unofficial concept art for a ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' movie is shown.<ref name="latinoreview.com">http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-halo-fall-of-reach-concept-art-5150</ref> |
| | *'''July 17, 2009''' Stuart Beattie announces that he will be planning an attempt to direct his ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' script if no one else will do so. |
| | *'''July 24, 2009''' At Comic-Con, Neill Blomkamp denies that his upcoming film ([http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/ ''District 9'']) is a showcase for how he could handle a ''Halo'' film, and confirms that he is no longer involved<ref>[http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/24/confirmed-director-neill-blomkamp-would-probably-not-do-a-halo-film-even-if-offered-one/ Slashfilm.com interview with Neill Blomkamp]</ref>: |
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| Contrary to claims that Microsoft were seeking other distributors for the film, WingNut Films stated;
| | {{Article quote|"The answer is, I probably wouldn't do Halo if it was offered to me. But creatively, I would like to do it. It's kind of like I'd be sad to not work on it, but I would still say no... I worked on it for five months... I put a lot of sort of sweat and blood into Halo. Creatively, it's very compelling. I love it. But, when you work that long on something and you have it bottom out and collapse... I mean, I got District 9 out of it, I think I'm probably better off because it's more of a personal film. But yeah, I love the world of Halo. (But) I don't think I would go back there."}} |
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| {{Article quote|As was previously confirmed, we deeply regret that both Universal and Fox did not choose to move forward with financing the ''Halo'' film under the original terms of the agreement. At this time Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, along with their partner, Microsoft, have mutually agreed to postpone making a feature film based on the ''Halo'' video game universe until we can fulfill the promise we made to millions of ''Halo'' fans throughout the world that we would settle for no less than bringing a first class film to the big screen. We are fully supportive of director Neill Blomkamp's vision of the film. Neill is a tremendously gifted filmmaker and his preliminary work on ''Halo'' is truly awe-inspiring. While it will undoubtedly take a little longer for ''Halo'' to reach the big screen, we are confident that the final feature film will be well worth the wait.{{Ref/Reuse|HaloHolding}}}}
| | Peter Jackson also revealed that it was "studio politics" that brought down the ''Halo'' movie and not due to the fact that Neill was a new director or the budget cost of the film<ref>http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApEntertainment/200907240770</ref>. As for ''[[Halo: Chronicles]]'', he says that it was scrapped when the movie collapsed as well.<ref>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/24/peter-jackson-halo-chronicles-no-longer-happening/</ref> |
| | *'''July 26, 2009''' Jackson responds to questions about the current status of the film<ref>http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=14401&count=0</ref>: |
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| Blomkamp later elaborated on this, stating that considerable studio friction drove the project apart. Blomkamp felt that the production studios, especially Tom Rothman (co-chairman of Fox), did not trust his creative vision, and that as someone in the target demographic for ''Halo'' he was much more suited to make creative decisions than them. His vision for a ''"gritty, post-cyberpunk aesthetic"'' clashed with the studios' wish for a more traditional summer blockbuster - further adding that he believed ''"Rothman hated me"'', and would have fired him if he had the authority to. Similar creative tensions manifested with Microsoft, who were also clashing with the two film production studios over monetary issues - though he added that he believed Bungie were happy with the film's direction.{{Ref/Reuse|Wired}}
| | {{Article quote|"We don't control 'Halo,' we were simply just involved at that time to make the movie. The rights were with Universal and Fox, but now they reverted back to Microsoft, who developed the game. And I think Microsoft wants to figure out what to do with 'Halo.' It was a distressing experience for us when the film fell over and it was distressing for Microsoft, because they wanted to see a film made. The studio politics was the reason why it fell over. They had a bad experience as well. They are just trying to figure out what their relationship with Hollywood is. If any company can make a film independently without the need of a Hollywood studio, it would be Microsoft. Maybe that's what they will choose to do and maybe they'll come back to us to talk to us. I'm not sure."}} |
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| Fox pulling out of the project Universal had already poured $12 million caused Universal to threaten Fox with legal action, though the two ultimately settled out of court - though anonymous sources later reported that Universal lost nearly all of its investment in the process.{{Ref/Reuse|Vulture}} Despite this obstacle in production, Ken Kamins - a representative of Jackson - confirmed in an interview on October 29, 2007 that the ''Halo'' film was still in pre-production. According to Kamins, Blomkamp had not been dropped - in spite of his earlier statements.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/174687/ms-already-in-talks-to-continue-halo-film/|Site=CVG|Page=MS "already in talks" to continue Halo film|D=17|M=10|Y=2012}}
| | *'''July 30, 2009''' Microsoft claims that Peter Jackson's ''Halo'' projects are not, in fact, dead. "Microsoft Game Studios is deeply committed to supporting and strategically growing the Halo franchise, and our relationship with Peter and his team is something that we greatly value. Given the bandwidth of both of our companies we've decided to put this joint effort on hold and prioritize resources against other projects like ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' and ''[[Halo Legends]]''".<ref>http://www.incgamers.com/News/17692/peter-jacksons-halo-projects-not-dead</ref> |
| | *'''August 3, 2009''' Stuart Beattie elaborates on his Halo effort in an interview: |
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| On July 24, [[2009]], Blomkamp denied that his upcoming ''District 9'' would be a showcase for his ''Halo'' film intentions, and confirmed he was no longer involved.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.slashfilm.com/confirmed-director-neill-blomkamp-would-probably-not-do-a-halo-film-even-if-offered-one/|Site=Slashfilm|Page=Confirmed: Director Neill Blomkamp Would Probably Not Do a Halo Film, Even If Offered One|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}} The director later revealed in August that the film's budget would have been $120 million.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.ugo.com/movies/district-9-neill-blomkamp-interview/|Site=UGO|Page=District 9 - Neill Blomkamp Interview|D=07|M=07|Y=2010}}
| | {{Article quote|“I’ve been relentlessly at it for the last year and a half now, trying to convince Microsoft to make it, and trying to find a big filmmaker who wants to make it with us. I have a lot of hope for the Halo film, it’s not dead in my book. I won’t let it die. It’s too good to let go, I mean it’s our generation’s Star Wars. The whole thing is so cinematic, I just think it’s dying to be done.” Anything I can do to be a part of it, to help get it going, I’ll do it.”}} |
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| ===Story and script=== | | *'''August 7, 2009''' [http://www.iesb.net/ IESB] reports that Steven Spielberg (who is a closet gamer) was greatly impressed with Stuart Beattie's take on ''Halo'' and is planning to sign on as the producer. The article also states that he is in active negotiations with Microsoft to acquire the film rights for DreamWorks, as they are looking for a big tent pole to help launch their newly independent studio(with distribution over at Walt Disney Pictures) after losing ''[[wikipedia:Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' to Paramount.<ref>http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7261:iesb-exclusive-master-chief-and-halo-may-be-coming-to-the-big-screen-sooner-than-expected-with-a-new-big-name-producer&catid=43:exclusive-features&Itemid=73</ref> |
| ====Garland's script====
| | *'''August 11, 2009''' A Microsoft spokesperson responds on the Spielberg rumors saying that they're "glad that there's still a lot of enthusiasm in the entertainment industry surrounding the idea of a Halo movie." But he further states that film is still on hold and that they are putting their full focus on the ''Halo 3: ODST'' and ''Halo: Reach'' projects until further notice.<ref>http://kotaku.com/5334508/microsoft-halo-movie-still-on-hold</ref> |
| <!--https://web.archive.org/web/20051124033711/http://latinoreview.com/scriptreviews/halo/review.html--> | | *'''October 5, 2009''' Frank O' Connor confirms that Microsoft is still "being very careful to pick the right time and the right partner" to get the development of the movie restarted in an interview with USA Today. He also reveals that future Halo installments in the franchise are being planned out for the next six years that will provide conclusions to the canon storyline<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2009-10-05-halo-spins-off-products_N.htm</ref> |
| In a 2012 interview with IGN, Garland described his screenplay for ''Halo'' as essentially an adaptation of the story of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', with elements of ''[[Halo 2]]''{{'}}s ending. Garland described his vision as one mostly informed by the games themselves, and also akin to a less satirical take on ''Starship Troopers''.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/20/alex-garland-discusses-his-halo-movie|Site=IGN|Page=Alex Garland Discusses His Halo Movie|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}} This has also been supported by Paul Russel.{{Ref/Twitter|docabominable|1602656390920785921|Paul Russel|Quote=The concept art was fun. Would’ve looked very different than the games. If they were using Garland’s script it would’ve been a straight retelling of the first game.|D=13|M=12|Y=2022}}
| | *'''March 25, 2010''' It is revealed that interest in the film is high once more due to ''Halo Legends'' and the upcoming ''Halo: Reach'' game.<ref>http://www.industrygamers.com/news/halo-reach-should-make-a-halo-movie-more-likely-says-bungie/</ref> |
| | *'''April 7, 2010''' Frank O'Connor states confidently that the film will happen eventually:<ref>http://movies.ign.com/articles/108/1082457p1.html</ref> |
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| ====Del Toro's script====
| | {{Article quote|"We're going to make a movie when the time is right," he said. "We own the IP. If we want to make a movie, the scale of all the other stuff that we do changes dramatically. We make tens and tens of millions of dollars on ancillary stuff, toys, apparel, music and publishing. If we do a movie all of that will grow exponentially. We have some numbers if we do a movie, but it changes everything. It also changes our target and age demographic."}} |
| In [[2020]], [[Paul Russel]] recalled a mention by [[Joseph Staten]] of a script pitched to him by Guillermo del Toro. In this script, del Toro supposedly envisioned that Master Chief would have a twin brother who would turn evil and defect to the Flood (or possibly become infected) - with the two facing off at the film's climax.{{Ref/YouTube|9ndZbg8Mr-Q|IGN|Halo: Combat Evolved Devs React to Speedrun (Marty O'Donnell, Marcus Lehto)|Time=3534|Detail=58:54}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.ign.com/articles/halo-movie-guillermo-del-toro-master-chief-evil-twin-flood|Site=IGN|Page=Halo Movie: Guillermo del Toro Apparently Wanted Master Chief to Have an Evil Twin|D=30|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| ====Beattie's script====
| | *'''September 4, 2010''' O'Connor says that any Halo film would likely serve as a standalone story and not be "a verbatim retelling of the game". It is reported that they are still developing scripts by Alex Garland with Stuart Beattie, D.B. Weiss and Josh Olson's work as potential blueprints for an updated screenplay. Microsoft's aim now with ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' is for the game to relate to wider audiences in order to pave the way for a bigscreen adaptation, hence director [[Noam Murro|Noam Murro's]] [[Remember Reach]] live-action shorts for Reach's viral marketing campaign. Also, a [[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn| live-action miniseries]] is on the horizon as well.<ref>http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023688.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1</ref> |
| During the writer's strike in [[2007 (real world)|2007]], Stuart Beattie - a screenwriter known for his work on ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'' - took it upon himself to write a speculative script for a ''Halo'' film treatment, unrelated to the script penned by Garland intended for use in the now-dead film project. Unlike Garland's script, Beattie's screenplay is based upon ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', a novel written by [[Eric Nylund]]. The script was compared to ''Jaws'', with the Covenant not being seen for the first half of the film to build up their threat.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.slashfilm.com/498717/gi-joe-screenwriter-stuart-beattie-has-written-halo-spec-script/|Site=SlashFilm|Page=G.I. Joe Screenwriter Stuart Beattie Has Written Halo Spec Script|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}} Beattie was quoted as saying; ''"It's not something I can direct right now, because it's a big $100 million-plus film... [but] I would just love to see a Halo movie up there on screen. It's magnificent."''{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-halo-movie-has-reach-4305|Site=LatinoReview|Page=Exclusive: Halo Movie has Reach!|D=02|M=04|Y=2008}}{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/stuart-beattie-wrote-his-own-halo-script-to-sell/|Site=FirstShowing|Page=Stuart Beattie Wrote His Own Halo Script to Sell!|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}}{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.blastr.com/2009/07/why_stuart_beattie_believ.php/|Site=Blastr|Page=Why Stuart Beattie believes his Halo film will work|NoArchive=yes|Detail=Deadlink|D=30|M=07|Y=2009}} By October 2008, Beattie's script was projected to have a 2009 release.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://screenrant.com/halo-fall-of-reach-movie/|Site=ScreenRant|Page=Is There Any Progress On The Halo: Fall Of Reach Movie?|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| ===Art and props===
| | *'''November 5, 2012''' The first feature-length motion picture set in the ''Halo'' universe is released in form of ''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn|Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Special Edition]]''.<ref name="thb5612">[http://www.halo.xbox.com/blogs/Headlines/post/2012/05/16/The-Halo-Bulletin-51612.aspx '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin 5.16.12'']</ref> |
| {{Quote|Um. The dudes at WETA made a Warthog. I don’t mean that they made a big plastic thing that looks like a Warthog. I mean they built a fully-functioning, four-wheel steering, powerful, off-road vehicle with a machine gun on the back. At the correct scale. If you live near Wellington, New Zealand, you might even see some crazy machine-shop dude from WETA fishtailing around your base, ahem, I mean neighborhood.|Frank O'Connor{{Ref/Site|Id=BWU72007|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12669|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update: 7/20/07|D=07|M=02|Y=2021}}}}
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| Preproduction for the film was primarily carried out by [[WETA Workshop]], known for their work on ''Lord of the Rings''. WETA worked for around six months to create a number of physical props for the film and the subsequent ''Halo: Landfall'' short film, based on equipment designs from across ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', ''Halo 2'' and the then-upcoming ''Halo 3''.{{Ref/Site|Id=RT|URL=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com:80/m/district_9/news/1842105/2/neill_blomkamp_talks_district_9_rt_interview|Site=Rotten Tomatoes|Page=Neill Blomkamp talks District 9 - RT Interview|D=03|M=02|Y=2010}} These include [[BR55 battle rifle]]s, [[SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle]]s, [[ODST armor]], [[UNSC Marine Corps Battle Dress Uniform|Marine armor]], a [[Laser designator]], an [[M41 SPNKR]] rocket launcher and perhaps most notably, a 1:1 fully-drivable replica of the [[M12 Warthog]], complete with a fully-rotating [[M41 Vulcan]] turret.{{Ref/Reuse|BWU72007}} A number of images of these props were posted by Blomkamp on his Instagram page in [[2014]], though many of the images have since been deleted. They include radical redesigns of the [[Covenant]] species, with total rehauls given to the [[Sangheili|Elite]] and [[San'Shyuum|Prophet]] characters.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.healthregen.net/2015/01/neill-blomkamps-failed-halo-movie-props/|Site=Health Regen|Page=Neill Blomkamp’s Failed Halo Movie Props|D=06|M=01|Y=2015}}
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| Concept art for the film was produced, including by artists [[Eddie Smith]] and Aaron Beck.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://visualatrium.blogspot.com/p/illustrations.html|Site=Visualatrium|Page=llustrations|Detail=The artwork referred to as "Awakening" on Eddie Smith's portfolio website|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/13DBL|Site=Artstation|Page=The Chief Awakens|Quote=This is one of the first paintings I did back on 2005 for a possible Halo Film when I worked at Bungie.|Quotee=Eddie Smith|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}} Smith was responsible for a painting done in early 2005, showcasing the Master Chief having his [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|MJOLNIR Mark V]] armor inspected by some technicians, while Beck would post some of his concept work on Instagram in [[2021 (real world)|2021]] - depicting concept art for an Elite redesign - before later deleting the post.{{Ref/Twitter|thenoblesaber|1362635052190887940|Saber One|Quote=Aaron Beck just posted this on Instagram. Possible concept art of Elites for the #Halo movie by Neill Blomkamp? Looks pretty similar to the maquette.|Detail=Original source defunct|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
| | *'''April 10, 2013''' Neil Blomkamp announces that he would still be interested in directing a Halo movie, if given the opportunity and more creative freedom.<ref>[http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/neill-blomkamp-would-still-like-to-do-that-halo-movie-actually/ '''Joystiq.com:''' ''Neill Blomkamp would still like to do that Halo movie'']</ref> |
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| Guillermo del Toro also did a concept design for the Master Chief during his brief time attached to the film. He described the process in the DVD commentary for ''[[wikipedia:Hellboy II: The Golden Army|Hellboy 2]]'', in which he described Master Chief's helmet as being ''"sleek and self concealed"''. It is likely that this direction, along with the unconventional Elite and Prophet designs mentioned prior, were those concepts mentioned as being too risky for Microsoft - who were wanting more conventional designs for a summer action blockbuster.{{Ref/Reuse|Wired}}
| | *'''May 21, 2013''' Along with the announcement of the [[Xbox One]], a [[Halo (TV series)|Halo television series]] directed by Stephen Spielberg is unveiled.<ref>[http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4352280/microsoft-announces-live-action-halo-tv-series-with-steven-spielberg TheVerge.com: ''Microsoft announces live action 'Halo' TV series with Steven Spielberg'']</ref> |
| <gallery>
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| File:HaloMovie Awakening Concept.jpg|Concept art created for the film by [[Eddie Smith]] for Del Toro's film.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.instagram.com/p/CR2-nm6pyPH/|Site=Instagram|Page=Eddie Smith|Quote=THE CHIEF AWAKENS<br>I painted this in 2004 while working at Bungie Studios. At one point, Guillermo Del Toro wanted to make a Halo film that he planned to pitch to several studios. This painting was the first in a series of pitch artwork that was done for it. I envisioned Master Chief's suit as a wearable spacecraft, since that’s what real life space suits are, pretty much. And like NASA astronauts, a team of engineers would assemble the suit around him. This painting was also used by 343 INDUSTRIES for HALO 5.|D=30|M=01|Y=2023}}
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| File:HaloMovie Insurrection Concept.jpg|Exploratory concept art by Eddie Smith for Del Toro's film.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.instagram.com/p/CSneJDoFiCy/|Site=Instagram|Page=Eddie Smith|Quote=INSURRECTION<br>This was the second mood piece (after THE CHIEF AWAKENS, previous post), I did in a small series, again for Guillermo Del Toro and his unrealized Halo Film. Here, an O.D.ST commando restrains an upset Master Chief, chewing out a Lieutenant for his negligence leading to a soldier's death. The dead Spartan in question can be seen to the far left being carried off by flight crew officers.|D=30|M=01|Y=2023}}
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| File:HaloMovie Elite Concept.png|Concept art for a radically redesigned Elite, by Aaron Beck.
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| File:HaloMovie Elite Prop.jpg|A physical prop of an Elite, posted by Neill Blomkamp on Instagram.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://instagram.com/p/ntynbEqhHW/|Site=Instagram|Page=@Neill Blomkamp|Quote=#halo elite from 06 #weta|NoArchive=yes|D=04|M=05|Y=2014}}
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| File:HaloMovie Prophet Prop.jpg|A physical prop of a Prophet, posted by Neill Blomkamp on Instagram.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://instagram.com/p/vq8TaLKhAQ/|Site=Instagram|Page=@Neill Blomkamp|Quote=#halo #prophet over my desk from failed film|NoArchive=yes|D=11|M=11|Y=2014}}
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| File:HaloMovie SniperRifle Prop.jpg|Journalist Stephen Totilo holding the sniper rifle prop, after Bungie's headquarters were investigated by the police.
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| File:Nathan_Fillion_sniper.jpg|[[Nathan Fillion]] holding the sniper rifle during his visit to Bungie for his work on ''Halo 3: ODST''.
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| </gallery>
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| At the end of the film projects, the various physical props made for the production were packed up into storage crates. A few of these props ended up being sent to the Bungie offices including at least one battle rifle and the sniper rifle. During a studio move in 2009, Bungie employees carrying these prop firearms were mistaken by people in the street for gunmen carrying AK-47s, and Kirkland police were called to investigate.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://kotaku.com/police-swarm-to-bungie-on-weapons-call-during-kotaku-vi-5351721|Site=Kotaku|Page=Police Swarm To Bungie On Weapons Call During Kotaku Visit|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}} Bungie later sold off their battle rifle in [[2011]] during a charity auction for Child's Play, wherein the prop was sold for $4,550.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://cgi.ebay.com/Bungie-Original-Halo-Weta-UNSC-Battle-Rifle-/320718583181?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aac51358d|Site=eBay|Page=Bungie: Original Halo Weta UNSC Battle Rifle|D=01|M=07|Y=2011}}
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| Several of the battle rifle props are still kept by Neill Blomkamp in his office, as of [[2019]].{{Ref/Twitter|neillblomkamp|1100165839666393089|Neill Blomkamp|Quote=ahha. i love that [sniper rifle] prop. whoever designed that for HALO originally know of the SA NTW-20. I still have some of the Battle Rifles in my office from the Landfall shoot|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| <gallery>
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| File:HaloMovie BlomkampRifle Props.jpg|A number of rifle props from Blomkamp's various films, including a ''Halo'' battle rifle.
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| File:Landfall WETA Props.jpg|A large selection of props developed by WETA.
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| </gallery> | |
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| Concept art for Stuart Beattie's iteration of the ''Halo'' film would later leak online on the review site ''LatinoReview'' - the same site which had originally leaked details about Garland's script. The five images, concepted by Kasra Farahani, were done as part of a pitch prepared to present to Microsoft some time around late 2008. However, these concepts were essentially fan art done for an independent pitch - not officially comissioned artwork by Microsoft. The first depicts the SPARTAN-IIs deploying into space in the middle of a space battle involving what appears to be {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}, led by Master Chief. This first image possibly coincides with the mission to [[Gamma Station]] during the [[Space engagements over Reach|space battle over Reach]], late in the book.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-halo-fall-of-reach-concept-art-5150|Site=LatinoReview|Page=Exclusive: Halo Fall Of Reach Concept Art!|D=27|M=08|Y=2008}} The second image features the Master Chief and the other Spartan cadets training on Reach.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-2nd-halo-fall-of-reach-concept-art-5186|Site=LatinoReview|Page=Exclusive: 2nd Halo Fall Of Reach Concept Art!|D=27|M=08|Y=2008}}
| | ==Others== |
| | There are also a variety of ''Halo'' props built by [[WETA Workshop]]. Even though they were made for the ''[[Halo: Landfall]]'' short films and not for the actual film, they provide a glimpse as to what the film's visual style would have been like. |
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| The third and fourth concepts deal with the Spartans' defense (and ultimate defeat) of Reach.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-3rd-halo-fall-of-reach-movie-concept-art-5237|Site=LatinoReview|Page=Exclusive: 3rd Halo Fall Of Reach Concept Art!|D=28|M=08|Y=2008}} The fourth image is said to depict Master Chief fighting to get [[Cortana]] off Reach, with [[Carol Rawley|Foehammer]]'s Pelican coming to save him.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-4th-halo-fall-of-reach-movie-concept-art-5275|Site=LatinoReview|Page=Exclusive: 4th Halo Fall Of Reach Concept Art!|D=28|M=08|Y=2008}} The fifth concept showcases the ''Pillar of Autumn'' engaging in a space [[Battle over Installation 04]].{{Ref/Site|URL=http://latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-5th-halo-fall-of-reach-concept-art-5313|Site=LatinoReview|Page=Exclusive: 5th Halo Fall Of Reach Concept Art!|D=28|M=08|Y=2008}}
| | Writer Stuart Beattie has also been rumored to have written the script for ''Spy Hunter'' and confirmed to have penned the script for the ''GI Joe'' movie. He was also involved in writing the ''Gears of War'' movie script. Beattie also drew up five concept art pieces for the ''Halo: Fall of Reach'' movie.<ref name="latinoreview.com"/> |
| <gallery>
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| File:HaloMovie_SpartanEVA_Concept.jpg|Concept of Spartans (with Master Chief in the middle) deploying in an [[extra-vehicular activity]].
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| File:HaloMovie SpartanTraining Concept.jpg|Concept art of [[SPARTAN-II training]].
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| File:HaloMovie_SpartanDeath_Concept.jpg|Concept art of Spartans getting defeated by the Covenant.
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| File:HaloMovie ReachEvac Concept.jpg|Concept art of Master Chief fighting for evacuation off Reach.
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| File:HaloMovie_SpaceBattle_Concept.jpg|Concept art of the ''Pillar of Autumn'' fighting the Covenant over Installation 04.
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| </gallery> | |
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| ==Legacy==
| | In the ''[[wikipedia:Hellboy II: The Golden Army|Hellboy 2]]'' DVD Commentary at 38:41 Guillermo del Toro says he did a design of Master Chief for the ''Halo'' movie. He describes Master Chief's helmet as being sleek and self concealed.<ref><small>[[wikipedia:Hellboy II: The Golden Army|Hellboy II: The Golden Army]] film (2008). At 38:34 ''"The design of the mouth of [[wikipedia:Johann Kraus|Johann]], I'm very proud of it. We designed it. I originally had done a design for that for the movie ''Halo'', for [[John-117|Master Chief]]. It was a very different design, because Master Chief's helmet is very sleek and very self-concealed, but it had the same principles."''.</small></ref> |
| The collaboration of many creators involved with the ''Halo'' film would ultimately go on to inform several major films released in the ensuing years. Guillermo del Toro was later slated to direct the ''Hobbit'' films produced by Peter Jackson, though he ultimately ended up stepping away from the project to work on ''Pacific Rim'' alongside Mary Parent - with Jackson going on to direct the ''Hobbit'' trilogy.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://hnentertainment.co/an-extensive-look-at-the-halo-movie-that-never-happened/|Site=HN Entertainment|Page=An Extensive Look at The ‘Halo’ Movie That Never Happened|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| ===''Halo'' TV and webseries===
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| Although the ''Halo'' film was ultimately dead, Microsoft's hopes for a ''Halo'' live action feature were not. On August 10, 2009, [[wikipedia:Steven Spielberg|Steven Spielberg]] was reported to have been ''"blown away"'' by Beattie's screenplay, and was in ''"active negotiations"'' to produce a future ''Halo'' feature.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://kotaku.com/5333561/steven-spielberg-to-produce-halo-movie|Site=Kotaku|Page=Steven Spielberg To Produce Halo Movie?|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}} These discussions, involving Spielberg and DreamWorks, were reported to focus on adapting the ''Halo'' novels, rather than the games, to avoid the mess of the previous film. This would additionally offset any issues with the lingering hostilities from the previous attempt, with DreamWorks worried that Universal might try and elicit payment for the $12 million they had lost in their preproduction.{{Ref/Site|Id=Vulture|URL=https://www.vulture.com/2010/10/the_new_halo_video_game_is_a_h.html|Site=Vulture|Page=The New Halo Game Is a Hit — So What’s the Status of the Halo Movie?|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| Spielberg was ultimately later involved with discussions with Microsoft, and would later go on to produce the [[Halo: The Television Series|''Halo'' television series]]. The failures of the ''Halo'' film were learnt from heavily in the production of the TV show, with Microsoft dialing back their need for total adherence to strict canon and creative control. This ultimately led to the creation of the "[[Silver Timeline]]" alternate continuity, in which the TV show is set.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/halo-series-paramount-plus-master-chief-1235205361/|Site=Variety|Page=More Than $90 Million and 265 Script Drafts Later, 'Halo' Is Finally a TV Show|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| The following day, Microsoft responded to the prior report by Spielberg, claiming it was ''"glad"'' of the enthusiasm surrounding a ''Halo'' feature, although the project still remained on hold.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://kotaku.com/5334508/microsoft-halo-movie-still-on-hold|Site=Kotaku|Page=Microsoft: Halo Movie Still "On Hold"|D=20|M=03|Y=2022}} On October 6, 2009, [[Frank O'Connor]] confirmed that Microsoft was still ''"being very careful to pick the right time and the right partner"'' with regards to a new ''Halo'' feature.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2009-10-05-halo-spins-off-products_N.htm|Site=USA Today|Page=Video game 'Halo' spins off books, action figures and more|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}} In [[2010]], O'Connor stated that Microsoft will make a film ''"when the time is right"'', and that it would be a standalone story rather than ''"a verbatim retelling of the game"''.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/04/08/halo-movie-will-happen|Site=IGN|Page=Halo Movie Will Still Happen|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}{{Ref/Site|URL=http://variety.com/2010/digital/news/halo-the-care-and-feeding-of-a-franchise-1118023688/|Site=Variety|Page="Halo": the care and feeding of a franchise|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}} O' Connor also hinted at a future live action miniseries, which would later be revealed as ''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]''. A second webseries, produced by Ridley Scott titled ''[[Halo: Nightfall]]'', was released in [[2014]]. | |
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| ===''Halo: Landfall'' and ''District 9''===
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| [[File:HaloMovie ODSTArmour District9Exo Props.jpg|thumb|250px|An image posted by Neill Blomkamp to Instagram, showcasing the ODST armour developed by WETA alongside the ''District 9'' exoskeleton prop. Note the similarities between the ''District 9'' exoskeleton and the Elite concepts, featured above.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://instagram.com/p/pKLDN8KhHV/|Site=Instagram|Page=@Neill Blomkamp|Quote=#halo #odst and unused #district9 exo|NoArchive=yes|D=06|M=06|Y=2014}}]]
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| {{Main|Halo: Landfall}}
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| Although the ''Halo'' film was cancelled, Jackson, Blomkamp and [[WETA Workshop]] had spent months on preproduction for the ''Halo'' film, and built numerous props including [[ODST armor]], [[SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle|sniper rifles]], [[BR55HB battle rifle|battle rifles]] and [[UNSC Marine Corps Battle Dress Uniform|Marine armor]] - among others. As such, this effort was not wasted, and Blomkamp instead directed a series of shorts titled ''[[Halo: Landfall]]''. The ''Landfall'' project comprised of three short videos titled ''[[Halo: Arms Race|Arms Race]]'', ''[[Halo: Combat|Combat]]'' and ''[[Halo: Last One Standing|Last One Standing]]'', released over [[Xbox LIVE]] in parts and eventually compiled under the ''Landfall'' name. The shorts depict an [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]] fireteam during the [[Battle for Earth]] concurrent with the opening of ''[[Halo 3]]'', and employ many of the props developed by WETA for the film project.{{Ref/Reuse|VICE}} While filming ''Landfall'', Blomkamp suffered an injury in the Warthog that tore off part of his right ear, requiring reconstructive surgery.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/neill-blomkamp-ripped-his-ear-off-in-a-warthog-while-filming-halo/|Site=PC Gamer|Page=Neill Blomkamp ripped his ear off in a Warthog while filming Halo|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| Following the end of the ''Landfall'' project, Blomkamp and Jackson continued their partnership to create the film ''[[Wikipedia:District 9|District 9]]''. The film utilises many of the ideas and concepts generated for the ''Halo'' film and ''Halo: Chronicles'', including alien creatures heavily derived from the ''Halo'' film's concepts for Flood [[Pod infector|infection forms]] and [[Sangheili|Elites]], and the ideas of a [[human]] transforming into a new alien form of life. On April 10, [[2013]], Blomkamp mentioned that he was still interested in directing for ''Halo'', but only if he was given more creative freedom.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/neill-blomkamp-would-still-like-to-do-that-halo-movie-actually/|Site=Joystiq|Page=Neill Blomkamp would still like to do that Halo movie|D=12|M=04|Y=2022}} In July 2017, Blomkamp affirmed this statement, adding that he is still open to doing a movie but Microsoft has not approached him. O'Connor subsequently stated that Microsoft would "be delighted to work with [Blomkamp] again one day.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/after-halo-movie-fell-apart-director-still-wants-a/1100-6451671/|Site=GameSpot|Page=After Halo Movie Fell Apart, Director Still Wants Another Shot|D=21|M=03|Y=2022}}
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| ==Gallery== | | ==Gallery== |
| <gallery> | | <gallery> |
| File:Story bible - Grunt.jpg|Excerpt from the story and style companion booklet from the 2005 movie project.
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| File:WarthogB110707.jpg|A fully functional (presumably, the turret does not work), drivable Warthog made by WETA Workshop. | | File:WarthogB110707.jpg|A fully functional (presumably, the turret does not work), drivable Warthog made by WETA Workshop. |
| File:Update cougarhuting.jpg|Bungie employees "hunting cougars" outside the studio building with WETA-made replica weapons.
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| File:Battle of Sector Six 03.png|A scene from ''Halo: Combat''.
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| File:Halo 3 ODST.png|ODST helmets in ''Arms Race''.
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| File:H3 AR2 Brute Kill 3.jpg|An ODST kills a Brute in ''Combat''.
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| File:LastOneStanding-1.jpg|Two Brutes attacking with [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|spikers]] in ''Last One Standing''.
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| File:FUD-Poster.jpg|A poster for ''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]'', a non-theatrical ''Halo'' film. | | File:FUD-Poster.jpg|A poster for ''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]'', a non-theatrical ''Halo'' film. |
| </gallery> | | </gallery> |
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| | ==Links== |
| | ===Internal=== |
| | *[[Halo: Arms Race]], three short films by the former director, Neill Blomkamp |
| | *[[Halo: Faith]], a fan-made film directed by Jared Pelletier |
| | *[[Operation Chastity]], a fan-made film directed by Peter Cooper |
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| | ===External=== |
| | *[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0464037/ IMDB Page] - Note that information there can be just as fallible as any other wiki. |
| | *A fully [http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12669 functional Warthog] has been produced by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54oc9WNkEwo WETA workshop] as part of the ''[[Halo: Arms Race]]'' short films by Neill Blomkamp. |
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| ==Sources== | | ==Sources== |
| {{Ref/Sources}}
| | <references/> |
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| ==See also==
| | {{Film}} |
| *{{file link|HaloMovie Script.pdf|Garland's Halo script}} - Halopedia backup
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| {{Navbox/Media/Film}}
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| [[Category:Cinematics]] | | [[Category:Cinematics]] |
| [[Category:Film]] | | [[Category:Film]] |
