Just a quick update on today’s Halo post. Browsing Coming Soon (via Creativity Online), they have found some quotes from Neil Blomkamp, the guy who was suppose to bring HALO to the big screen and they aren’t all that encouraging for those hoping the popularity of HALO 3 on the XBOX 360 would re-spark film interest…
The film is entirely dead. In the configuration it was in. Whatever happens with that movie, assuming that movie gets made, will be a totally different configuration. It’s not so much me as the entire vessel sank. Basically, it was a combination of; there were two studios involved that weren’t getting along in the process of making it, Universal and Fox. That kind of stuff happens, it’s a fragile industry. So the film collapsed at the end of last year, and it’s been dead, ever since then. I’ll be curious to see what happens.
The way I take this in other words, is that if HALO does ever get made… none of the work Blomkamp did on the movie will stay, and neither will he. Sad news. Not neccessarily because Blomkamp isn’t behind the film (I mean how could we be sad over that, we have not seen what the guy can do yet) but because HALO doesn’t look any closer to being made at this point.
Back to today’s earlier post…
HALO could be a massive movie in the mould of TRANSFORMERS if a studio got their act together and put some money behind getting it made. Variety report today that the video game sequel HALO 3 which was released last week on the Xbox 360 has grossed $300 million in it’s first week, selling over 5 million copies.
If a studio got their act together and actually made a film which is as good as the Neil Blomkamp shorts which we have showcased over the last 12 months, then there is no reason to think why a live-action adaptation couldn’t make $300 milllion over it’s theatrical release.
This thing has a huge fanbase and there’s got to be so many people out there that are just movie fans and haven’t played the game or haven’t got an Xbox 360 who would be interested in seeing HALO brought to the big screen.
Get it done!
4 Comments
Wow! 300 mil. My favorite vidoe game series is Metal Gear Solid, but Halo has always had a rabid following. Maybe somebody will pull their head out and go ahead and pay Peter Jackson whatever outrageous sum he wants.
I’d love to see how he and WETA handle this one.
Halo fan (along with all fan groups… all the ones I belong to as well) seriously over estimate how big they actually are.
The facts are, the studios have every reason to doubt a Halo film would make much (if any) profit from a $200 million film. Even if every single person on the planet who bought Halo 3 went to see a Halo movie twice, that’s still not even half the budget back.
Every person who bought Halo 3 would have to see the movie 4 times JUST TO MAKE BACK THE PRODUCTION COSTS. That’s not even counting the $50 million in Marketing they’ll be sure to do.
People who aren’t into video games are NOT dying with excitement at the prospects of a Halo movie… sorry Halo fans… but aside from you guys, no one cares… and despite what you may think, there aren’t nearly enough of you to justify a Halo movie at the budget Bungie wants.
The funny thing is, Microsoft and Bungie know this. That’s why, even though they have enough money to pay for it themselves, they want someone else to pay for it and take the risk. If Bungie and Microsoft have no faith in the movie… why should anyone else?
No, the realities are that Blomkamp’s shorts have been unimpressive set pieces that do nothing to suggest that he can actually DIRECT (get performances out of actors, sculpt a plot, drive story), all we’ve seen is that he’s a good visual effects guy… which we already knew.
Robert over at IESB did an excellent article on this (yesterday I think).
Studios are greedy bastards… and they’re good at being greedy. If they thought for one second that a Halo movie at $200 million could actually make money, they’d walk over their own mother’s corpses to do it. But they know otherwise.
That’s just how I see it.
John,
I read that article and it makes some great points but there’s a ton of factors to consider here.
Halo is priced six times as much as a movie ticket here in the U.K. It’s not cheap and that’s if your lucky enough to have an XBOX 360, which again not everyone has. It’s not as simple as buying a $9 ticket to a theatre. Even if your a huge Halo fan, you still have to consider whether you can afford it.
The question should not just be what type of return they would get from the buyers of Halo 3, but how much money they would get from everyone who had ever played Halo. I bet it’s enough for the movie to be a hit as big as Transformers.
How many blockbuster movies actually have the luxury of having such a massive fanbase already built in? Not too many. Yeah things like Batman and Spiderman have a huge amount of fans but how many of those people actually read their comics?
Infact, how many fans of those are only fans because they have seen the movies in the first place?
How many movies actually have a built in audience who you can almost guarantee a huge % would see the film no matter what. Even if it looks like a Uwe Boll flick. (well maybe not that bad but you get the point).
No the Halo 3 audience is not enough but it’s a massive starting point.
Movies are for the wider audience. Transformers didn’t just rely on it’s fanbase but convinced so many people who ‘had heard of it’ or by the trailer to go and see it.
I know so many people who didn’t really know who Optimus Prime was but went to see it because of the hype, the name factor and the fact that it’s a summer blockbuster about robots.
Halo could have the same effect.
I’m not even that much of a Halo gamer, but I see the unlimited potential in this movie. It could be epic, it could be huge. It’s fresh and feels original.
The $200 million price tag is a risk but then again, so was The Lord of the Rings production. It takes a studio to be brave but how they can’t see the potential of giving Peter Jackson the best deal ever given to a film-maker to bring this to life I don’t know.
Jackson – the director of LORD OF THE RINGS and KING KONG, who already has a huge fanbase himself. Jackson who watches over every shred of production and could make this into a movie that will not only be the a $500 million flick everyone is hoping for but also could spawn a franchise of films.
You have a source material that is just begging to be made into a film (how many of the ‘average joe’ were desperate to see King Kong when it was first annouced). Peter Jackson has a proven track record of huge success.
I’ll agree $200 million is huge and a first time helmer is a risk… but if he was under Jackson’s wing or even better if they actually convinced him to do this… then I see no reason why this movie couldn’t makea $300 profit.
omfg you have to make this movie !!!
u have to make it !!! lol the videos ive seen look amazing ! i beleive it would be a very big hit for all of the fans out there !!!!