MTV Movies Blog › Halo

Hollywood hasn't had much luck turning the "Halo" video game series into a big-screen blockbuster franchise -- attempts at making the film in 2005 and 2006 resulted in nada. But thanks to the phenomenal success of the latest installment of the game, "Halo: Reach" -- it made $200 million in its first day of sales alone, which is more than many blockbuster movies make in their entire run -- a big-screen adaptation is once again picking up steam. New York Magazine's Vulture blog is reporting that DreamWorks is desperately seeking to obtain rights to the franchise with an eye to final give it is big-screen due.

It's something that both Fox and Universal, in a team effort, tried and failed to do in the past. The movie was supposed to be made with Peter Jackson as producer and Neil Blomkamp as director. But when studio brass balked at the idea of an untested director handling such an important big-budget property, Jackson and Blomkamp took their remaining financing and conceptual art and focused on making Blomkamp's dream project "District 9" instead (yes, that's why the prawns look so similar to some of "Halo"'s aliens). It's conceivable that the fact that "District 9" was made on such a small budget and yet was such a successful sci-fi film has contributed to DreamWorks' revived interest in "Halo." Read more...

Tags district 9, Halo, Halo: Reach, Neil Blomkamp, peter jackson

-- Aziz Ansari is in talks to star in "30 Minutes or Less," an upcoming comedy directed by "Zombieland" helmer Ruben Fleischer. Danny McBride is reportedly in negotiations to co-star. In the movie, Ansari's character is forced to rob a bank after he and his buddy come into unfortunate contact with a bomb vest. [The Hollywood Reporter]

-- Happy birthday to Taylor Kitsch, indeed! The "John Carter of Mars" actor has snagged the leading role in director Peter Berg's "Battleship," on his birthday no less! [Heat Vision]

-- Remember the high profile New York City car crash that occurred during filming for "The Sorcerer's Apprentice?" It sounds as though the crash was for a good cause, as co-star Jay Baruchel explains: "No one expects there to be Ferrari chases or whatever in this movie, but we have the sickest car chase this year, for sure." [MTV.com] Read more...

Tags 30 Minutes or Less, aziz ansari, battleship, Halo, Johnny English 2, michelle williams, Red Asphalt, Rowan Atkinson, Taylor Kitsch, the dailies, The Emperor's Children, the sorcerers apprentice, timur bekmambetov

Do you remember, at the height of the "Matrix" craze, a spin-off DVD was released called "The Animatrix." It wasn't a movie; rather, "The Animatrix" served up a collection of nine animated short films, each telling a short story set within the "Matrix" universe from different writers/directors. It was a solid idea with, as you might expect, a bit of an uneven presentation. Some shorts are excellent, some are forgettable and some would have been better left out completely.

I'm referencing this 2003 release because "Halo Legends," released yesterday on Blu-ray and DVD, is much the same thing. "Halo" is of course one of the biggest video game franchises on the planet. "Legends" is a similar sort of short film collection, but with a few notable differences: the contributors all hail from the anime world and none of the stories fit comfortably within the "Halo" canon established by the games and the books. Read more...

Tags Halo, Halo Legends

-- Wait... you mean an IESB rumor has been debunked?! I don't believe it. A weekend rumor that Steven Spielberg is interested in at the very least producing an adaptation of the hit video game "Halo" has been officially put to rest. Microsoft commented on the "news," stating that any "Halo" motion picture projects are officially on hold while the publisher concentrates on making games. I can't imagine why. Maybe it's the $60 price tag vs. the $10 movie ticket. (Kotaku)

-- Molly Ringwald wrote out a lengthy, heartfelt remembrance of her tragically fallen "Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles" director, John Hughes. A lot has been said of Hughes in the past week, but Ringwald's reminiscence eclipses them all. (The New York Times) Read more...

Tags Central Intelligence, David Mamet, death race, Ed Helms, Halo, John Hughes, Legion, Molly Ringwald, paul bettany, paul w.s. anderson, steven spielberg, The Diary of Anne Frank, the hangover

For many gamers -- myself included -- "District 9" director Neill Blomkamp was the next great hope for a competent video game-to-film adaptation. He paired up with Peter Jackson to deliver a big screen take on Microsoft's pride and joy franchise, "Halo." The plans ultimately fizzled out due to uncertain supporting studios and an even more uncertain financial environment. It turns out that the project's death was for the best, as without it Blomkamp's plate was cleared for next week's "District 9."

The South African filmmaker spoke with MTV's Josh Horowitz at Comic-Con, and he was more than happy to discuss his experiences with "Halo." Really though, "happy" isn't the right word. Blomkamp is clearly bummed that he didn't get to tackle Master Chief's adventures. Check the interview highlights and the video after the jump. Read more...

Tags district 9, Halo, neill blomkamp, peter jackson, Video

As an avid video gamer and movie buff, I am constantly on the lookout for interesting projects that meld the two mediums in some way. There's admittedly a spotty history where games being adapted into film is concerned, but things are changing as Hollywood accepts a youthful new guard and gaming becomes more of an everyday hobby.

One of the rising stars among Hollywood writers is Stuart Beattie. He wrote all three "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, Michael Mann's "Collateral," Alaskan vampire comic book adaptation "30 Days of Night" and the upcoming "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra." Yeah, Beattie's star is pretty well risen at this point. He also happens to be an avid gamer, and a big fan of Bungie Studios' "Halo" series. Read more...

Tags Halo, halo: fall of reach, Stuart Beattie