M$, Hollywood and Hobbits

[Mortriden]

...and wove them into something coherent...

I have to argue this point.  It seemed like at least two separate movies even without counting the shitty ending.  Started off good with the infected and survival and so on, then the script took a left turn at the military base.  "An analysis of human nature?  This was a zombie flick a few minutes ago...?"  I didn't care for the movie as a whole.

Halo movie will be lots of explosions and gunplay with little story.  Like the games.

To be honest the whole time I was watching that movie I was thinking to myself "Christ, when does this get better?"  I would have left, but I was pinned in between a large mouth breather and family of about a 100.  To me that movie suffered from 'stupid hero syndrome' badly; and yak-o-matic cam.

And just to stay on topic Halo moive = Big special effects and action.  Basically an Sci-Fi flick to turn your brain off in.

[Daydreamer]

I guess to me, I saw shades of the human nature stuff all the way up the the point at the end when it became blatant.  He did indeed overdo it in the last 20 minutes, but hopefully he'll get better at making it more clear earlier and less blatant at the end with time.  I also hear the recut second ending is better in this respect, but I haven't had a chance to see it.  Maybe I'll do that this week...

[Yegolev]

If the second ending is the alternate one I saw on the DVD extras, it sucks too.

[Ironwood]

If the second ending is the alternate one I saw on the DVD extras, it sucks too.

Agreed.

[Daydreamer]

Must you trample on all of my precious dreams?

[Sky]

At Paramount, said one studio executive, the Master Chief held his helmet in his lap because he was hot.

It's hard to find good help.

[Llava]

If the second ending is the alternate one I saw on the DVD extras, it sucks too.

Agreed.

There's one alternate ending that really is exactly the same as the released ending, except they change one detail that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme.  That's the one they actually shot.

There's one that's quite different, only shown in storyboards.

[Hanzii]

If the ending is what you guys call the last 110 minutes of the film, then I can see how an alternate unfilmed ending could have saved it. Otherwise? Bah!
It's a zombie flick for beret wearing dicks who wouldn't normally stoop to watching a zombie flick.
Only good zombie flick since Romero hung up his hat, was Shaun of the Dead.

And movies based on games is a crap idea. It'll suck.

[Llava]

If the ending is what you guys call the last 110 minutes of the film, then I can see how an alternate unfilmed ending could have saved it. Otherwise? Bah!
It's a zombie flick for beret wearing dicks who wouldn't normally stoop to watching a zombie flick.
Only good zombie flick since Romero hung up his hat, was Shaun of the Dead.

And movies based on games is a crap idea. It'll suck.

I didn't say it saved the film, I didn't much care for/about the alternate endings.  But <shrug> I enjoyed the film as it was, and I enjoy most zombie films.  Of course, Shaun of the Dead was better.  That's rewatchable.  28 Days, eh. Once, maybe twice.

[Shockeye]

Halo Film Deal Sealed

12:00 AM, 23-AUGUST-05

Fox and Universal have closed their deal to make a movie based on Microsoft's hit video game Halo, with plans to release it in 2007, Variety reported. Universal will oversee the production and is handling domestic distribution, while Fox will take foreign distribution. The studios will split revenues 50-50 out of a shared pot, the trade paper reported.

Former Columbia president Peter Schlessel, who served as a Hollywood liaison for Microsoft, is producing. 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland was paid $1 million by Microsoft to write a script that met its approval. He'll now do a rewrite with studio notes, after which Universal will go out to directors.

Microsoft is guaranteed extensive consultation on the project, but won't have approval over any elements. Several employees at Bungie, the Microsoft-owned development studio that created Halo, will serve as Microsoft's creative consultants.

[Strazos]

Die die die die die.

[stray]

Jesus. Why?

You know the one thing that pisses me off about Halo the most? It isn't the "Multiplayer FPS's -- Been there, done that" thing. And it isn't console hate.

It's that so many people try to tell me that it has a good "story".

Now I know that it has some kind of plot with religious alien zealots trying to destroy the earth or something (deep), but I'm talking about the "Master Chief" here. What kind of protagonist is this? He doesn't speak and you can't even see his face (what with the super cool spacesuit he always has on) --- Oh wait, he's supposed to be "me" right? Yes? No?  

How did such a stupid fucking character become so "iconic" (that's G4's description or something....Not mine) within a span of 3 years? I don't get it.

I used to like Bungie too (when they made Mac games at least).

[Polysorbate80]

The sheer incompetence of the soldiers in Starship Troopers ruined it for me.  Those asshats would die like bitches on a WW1 battlefield, much less a modern one.  Now the soldiers in the BOOK were fucking hardcore, jumping around in mech suits and lobbing nukes everywhere.

No shit.  Starship Troopers pissed me off.  I knew there was no way it would be a socio-political commentary, like the book was, but I did expect to see tons of FX with guys in mech suits jump jetting all over the place and dropping tactical nukes.

The stupid Hollywood fuckers couldn't even get that part right.

I seem to recall hearing it being a budget problem; they blew so much of it on the bugs they couldn't afford to do the armor.  Which makes even attempting the movie pointless, IMO.

[HaemishM]

Halo Film Deal Sealed
Former Columbia president Peter Schlessel, who served as a Hollywood liaison for Microsoft, is producing. 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland was paid $1 million by Microsoft to write a script that met its approval. He'll now do a rewrite with studio notes, after which Universal will go out to directors.

Goddamn, that has to be the easiest fucking million anyway has ever made short of the fucking lottery. I'd stab any one of you (except my wife) for that opportunity.

And yes, this movie will undoubtedly suck. I really believe with all my heart that it should be given to Uwe Boll in a turn of karmic justice to not only Microsoft, but also Bungie and all fans of the Halo series.

[Llava]

Halo Film Deal Sealed
Former Columbia president Peter Schlessel, who served as a Hollywood liaison for Microsoft, is producing. 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland was paid $1 million by Microsoft to write a script that met its approval. He'll now do a rewrite with studio notes, after which Universal will go out to directors.

Goddamn, that has to be the easiest fucking million anyway has ever made short of the fucking lottery. I'd stab any one of you (except my wife) for that opportunity.

And yes, this movie will undoubtedly suck. I really believe with all my heart that it should be given to Uwe Boll in a turn of karmic justice to not only Microsoft, but also Bungie and all fans of the Halo series.

But then you add further to Uwe Boll's already insurmountable level of karmic debt.

[HaemishM]

Demons don't have karma.

[Strazos]

But it's harder for him to die if he has money to buy food with.

[Bunk]

How did such a stupid fucking character become so "iconic" (that's G4's description or something....Not mine) within a span of 3 years? I don't get it.

I used to like Bungie too (when they made Mac games at least).

Gordon Freeman and his crowbar are borderline iconic.

Master Chief is just popular because he has a cool name.

[HaemishM]

Master Chief is not a cool name. It's an oxymoron.

[NiX]

Master Chief is cool because he didn't talk. There's nothing I hate more than a whiney, bitchey and over emotional main character. Just like why Duke and Sam were cool. All they did was blow shit up and say catchy lines. Sure, the painkiller dude was ok, but he was so emo. Master Chief said stuff, but only when he needed to. I'm sure some of you might like to hear "OH GOD! They're going to blow up the world! My life, my love.." I preferred Master Chiefs silent "Fuck you."

[Llava]

I'll take the Prince of Persia (pre-angst) over Master Chief any day.

[stray]

I have no problem with silence. I watch spaghetti westerns and samurai movies 24/7. That's the kind of silence that denotes a "Fuck you."

The Master Chief's silence, on the other hand, denotes "Teenage boys think I'm one of those cool archetypes in western and samurai flicks, but really, I'm just a guy in a space suit with nothing to say."

[Murgos]

Master Chief is not a cool name. It's an oxymoron.

Actually it's a naval rank.  As in Master Chief Petty Officer, usually just referred to as Master Chief. I'm guessing they were trying to elude to special forces/SEALs with the name.

[HaemishM]

They failed.

[Shockeye]

They failed.

Not totally.

[HaemishM]

We can rebuild him slower... stupider... infantile.

The Six Million Dollar Retard.

[Shockeye]

Courtesy of IMDB.

Full Cast and Crew for
Halo (2007)

Directed by
Uwe Boll       
 
Writing credits
Alex Garland       (screenplay)

Joseph Staten       story

Produced by
Peter Schlessel   ....    producer

[Llava]

Wow, they gave up on that pretty quick.

[NowhereMan]

Sometimes I wonder if any Hollywood Execs have even watched Uwe Boll's movies. Do they just look at his resume and say, "wow this guy's got lots of experience with video game movies!" and then take another hit of crack?

[Merusk]

I'm more apt to believe that they convince themselves that the movies bomb because, "Those damn geeks just don't watch movies anyway, we need  boader appeal this time.  Try including "The Rock" he tests well!" rather than understanding crap is crap.

[HaemishM]

No, they look at the fact that Boll's movies, despite being pure, unadulterated shit, are profitable, especially on the DVD end. Then they think of George Lucas, and the insipid fanboism that all video game type geeks appear to exhibit, and see how even shitty movies can sell like hotcakes in two and three different special editions to ignorant video game morons. And they think, "We can sell 3 or 4 different special edition type DVD's and make huge bank."

[AOFanboi]

Not the director after all.

*whew*

[Shockeye]

Peter Jackson to Produce 'Halo' Movie
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
October 4, 2005, 3:00 PM

Microsoft has tapped the team behind the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy to help bring its popular "Halo" Xbox game to the big screen. LOTR Peter Jackson will join his wife Fran Walsh as executive producers of the film, which will utilize Jackson's production facilities in New Zealand.

Universal Studios, Fox and Microsoft's Bungie game subsidiary that created Halo will aid Jackson in the process. The Halo screenplay -- about futuristic soldier "Master Chief" battling aliens -- was written by novelist Alex Garland. A director is expected to be named in the coming weeks, although the cast has yet to be announced.

Maybe Master Chief will get some hot Hobbit love.

[Samprimary]

From Bungie.net

No sense beating around the bush. I would only say that if you’re not already sitting down, you absolutely should.

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to partner with two tremendous Producers from Universal, Mary Parent and Scott Stuber. In the short time they’ve been on board, Mary and Scott have joined with Peter Schlessel to accomplish unimaginably wonderful things. Example? They’ve secured an Executive Producer to help guarantee the creative integrity and technical excellence of the Halo film.

And that Executive Producer’s name is Peter Jackson.

I’ll give you a second to process. If you’re having a strong, emotional reaction, don’t panic. When I heard the news it took me the better part of a day just to stop smiling.

Yes. The Peter Jackson, Executive Producing the Halo film.

Needless to say I and the rest of Bungie are positively incontinent (Marty especially). But what really knocks us on our asses is we’re also getting the combined talent of the mighty men and women of WETA in the bargain. From fabricating Covenant weapons to building life-sized Forerunner structures to accomplishing shot after shot of complex live-action/CG integration – simply put, there’s no group of people we’d rather have realize the Halo universe on screen.

Indeed, I don’t think there’s another group that even could.

Mary and Scott know Peter Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh because of their work on King Kong (which Universal is distributing), so I asked them for their personal take on this development:

"First, let me just say how honored and excited Scott and I are to be involved in this project. As huge fans of the game ourselves we know how high the bar is. We've made it our mission to try and involve the absolute very best people one can imagine in every capacity. Having developed a great relationship with Peter and Fran through the extraordinary Kong experience, and seeing first hand just how unique a filmmaking environment they have crafted, we approached them about the possibility of coming aboard to Exec Produce. Not surprisingly, they were already avid fans of the game, and given our existing shorthand, they said yes! To be able to continue our relationship with them – on HALO of all projects – is really a dream come true for us in the biggest possible way.”

I daresay me too. And did I mention that Mary and Scott are awesome?

Not surprisingly I’ve begun apartment hunting in Wellington – though Chris Butcher says I can bunk with his grandmother in Christchurch so long I don’t mind a bit of a commute

I’m only half joking. Parsons and I are hopping on a plane to New Zealand next week to meet Mr. Jackson and his team, and I imagine it won’t be the last time we make the trip.

If I didn’t make this clear in my previous update, Bungie’s in this for the long haul – 100% dedicated to making the Halo movie the best it can be. Now we have help. Ten thousand pound gorilla help. And that’s just about the best kind there is.

So, it's not doomed.

[Murgos]

Awesome, we can never have enough movies about kicking alien ass.