Halo Movie Canned

Mixed reactions were given from gamers and members of the press alike today upon hearing the news that the long awaited, much anticipated Halo movie was canceled. Given the reputation videogame to movie adaptations already have, much thanks to shining examples like Mortal Kombat 2 and Street Fighter, expectations were understandably low for the forthcoming sci-fi action flick. However, given the Halo movie's gargantuan two-hundred million dollar budget and the inclusion of Executive producer Peter Jackson, hopes were high that this one could change the way the medium is seen.

All those hopes were dashed asunder today however when, citing budget concerns, Fox and Universal decided to pull the plug on the project. When presses for information Peter Jackson's agent responded, "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. 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 Bungee (the studio that designed the original game), respectfully declined."

Also rumored to have been affecting the decision was increasing skepticism that rookie film maker Niel Blomkamp, director of the Halo project, had experience enough and indeed skill enough to handle such a big budget project. Previous to this film Blomkamp had only short films and commercials to his credit. One of his short films Alive in Joburg demonstrates strong visual elements that resemble the Halo universe and were probably the reason he was selected for the job. However, the leap from small budget short films to a $200 million dollar summer blockbuster is a daunting one for even the most skilled of upstart directors.