HALO Flick Down For the Count

Submitted by: Kyle Nin (SoSF Staff Reporter)

After news of the pullout of Universal Pictures and Fox from involvement with the highly anticipated film adaptation of HALO, Microsoft promised to hang tuff and continue development of a movie based on its famous video-game franchise. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh’s Wingnut Films were committed to staying onboard as well, as long as a new studio could be found soon to help with funding. Well, now Jackson and Wingnut have announced that they too are pulling the plug. Microsoft is now postponing the movie indefinitely.

Here is the official statement from Walsh and Jackson, given out through Wingnut Films, “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.”