Jackson's Halo project officially dead

By Ellie Gibson Published 27 July, 2009

Blomkamp not interested in film, either.

Peter Jackson has confirmed the Halo project he first announced nearly three years ago is in the bin.

When Joystiq asked him what's going on with the project, often rumoured to be titled Halo Chronicles, Jackson replied: "We're still figuring that out right now. That Halo project is no longer happening, it sort of collapsed when the movie didn't end up happening."

There was talk of the Halo movie being directed by Neill Blomkamp, but now he says he wouldn't do it if you paid him. Or rather, if Microsoft did.

"I probably wouldn't do Halo if it was offered to me," Blomkamp told Slashfilm. "But creatively, I would like to do it. It’s kind of like I'd be sad to not work on it, but I would still say no."

And that's despite the fact Blomkamp spent five months working on the project. "I put a lot of sort of sweat and blood into Halo," he said.

"Creatively, it’s very compelling. I love it. But, when you work that long on something and you have it bottom out and collapse… But yeah, I love the world of Halo. I don’t think I would go back there."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • altitude2k #1 3 years ago

    Is it me or do they both sound like they're very confused and contradict themselves. Especially Blomkamp - he seems to change his mind about 5 times in the same sentence...

  • AphoticCosmos #2 3 years ago

    "But creatively, I would like to do it. It’s kind of like I'd be sad to not work on it, but I would still say no."

    What?

    So he wants to do it, but would still say no?

    What the hell?

  • Arcadiian #3 3 years ago

    Poor Mr Blomkamp. It's as if Halo was his girlfriend. Only Halo cheated on him and now he can't take her back.

  • XdarXideX #4 3 years ago

    As much as I like the Halo shorts Blomkampf directed, I don't think I would like to see a whole movie shot in this handheld/mockumentary style. Halo is too cinematic for that in my opinion. However I will go see Blomkampf's 'District 9' when it's out as I liked the concept of the short film it is an extension of.

  • Freek #5 3 years ago

    Now that MS set up a studio to handel the Halo ip, a movie is inevitable.
    At some point they're going to have so much spare cash they'd probably produce it themselves.

  • Freek #6 3 years ago

    Marvels decision to get allot more closely involved in their movie adaptations seems to have paid off quite nicely.
    I can imagine MS taking a similar route.

  • ukrubicon #7 3 years ago

    So basically it was a movie tie in!

  • captainrentboy #8 3 years ago

    Ohh well, District 9's looking far more original than any Halo film could have been anyway, and is currently getting rave reviews. I mean as much as I like Halo, the film version would basically be like watching the love child of Aliens and Starship Troopers, complete with a faceless, humourless and kind of dull main hero.
    Edited by 1 at 27/07/09 @ 12:01

  • XdarXideX #9 3 years ago

    @MrED

    Why would it "inevitably be" bland nonsense if Blomkampf didn't do it?

  • Teamallstar #10 3 years ago

    I think it may be a blessing in disguise. A bad movie would be a disaster for the franchise, plus the film shorts looked really cheap!!!

    @sniper - if you don't have anything constructive to say stick to whining PS3 threads!

  • RexRunti #11 3 years ago

    I'm suprised MS haven't tried to buy out a movie studio like Universal, or whatever. They could really do with one if only to fight Sony's ability to force media standards (like Blu-ray) and grab some cheap movie licenses when needed.

  • paulf #12 3 years ago

    Blomkamp visual style is interesting and district 9 looks fun, but it's so not right for halo, it looks like people in power have worked this out for themselves hence no film

  • schnide #13 3 years ago

    "..a lowest-common-denominator summer blockbuster."

    Because Transformers 1 wasn't that either?

  • WinterSnowblind #14 3 years ago

    @CountFapula
    What do you mean two? Check his post history, his entire reason for posting on this site seems to be for bashing a game he's probably never played.

    The fact he seems to be unaware that Master Chief doesn't have anything to do with these latest projects only proves that really..

  • sanctusmortis #15 3 years ago

    His "realistic style" looked too much like a Russian cosplay for me Halo needs a Cameron, Scott or Spielberg, someone who can make it a little less "people in costume" and a little more "future-real".
    Come to think of it, a pseudo-CG Avatar style would be AWESOME, or something like Tron Legacy's look.

  • MightyMouse #16 3 years ago

    You're not going to make a good film without taking a few risks and it sounds like those in charge want to play it safe. Really they should have figured out what they wanted before they got people to work on it.

  • XdarXideX #17 3 years ago

    @sanctusmortis

    Agreed. Cameron would do it justice!

    Halo is more large scale spectacle than "realistic" handheld-camera grit. It's colourful and ridiculous so the movie should be too if it's going to capture the same feel.

    I like Blomkampf's short films and handheld style in general (Michael Mann is my current favorite director) but it's totally not right for Halo and I'm glad he's not involved anymore to be honest. Hopefully the project will see light again.

  • penhalion #18 3 years ago

    The problem with the movie is that they seemed to want to do it about anyone except the master chief for some strange and stupid reason. Apparently we (arguably the movies intended audience) would not connect with a character whose face we never saw. Never mind the fact that we would have been connecting with Cortana who is effectively the physical face of the Spartan, AI combo that we all know as the Master Chief anyway.

    I think the real reason is that no well known actor would agree to do the role unless they got to show their face for a set amount of time during the movie. That would have in turn actually ruined the whole Master Chief mystery from the get-go. It would have been the usual explosion scene, where the chiefs helmet is mysteriously the only part that gets knocked off or the visor broken etc. etc.

    No wonder no director wants to touch it anymore.

  • Razorus #19 3 years ago

    A real shame. However, Blomkamp doesn't need Halo to get famous.
    District 9 will take him places. Believe me this.

  • actionfitz #20 3 years ago

    @penhalion
    "I think the real reason is that no well known actor would agree to do the role unless they got to show their face for a set amount of time during the movie."

    ever seen V for Vendetta?
    Hugo Weaving never showed his face for the entire movie.
    just sayin :p

  • davisorle #21 3 years ago

    Arcadiian
    "Poor Mr Blomkamp. It's as if Halo was his girlfriend. Only Halo cheated on him and now he can't take her back. "

    Dude you couldnt have said it any better. Plus the fact that when he says about the way you feel when you sweat abbout something that goes down the drain without you even expecting it possible and before it even starts... yeah its exactly what you said what he must have felt. Never been cheated on ( thank God ) but even the author, who is a woman, knows exactly what you meen there.. ^^ You got my + even if i dont tend to give those easily :p

  • SEVQA #22 3 years ago

    I loved Halo 1 and enjoyed Halo 2 and was even lucky enough to have done QA and compliance testing on H2 back in the day. One thing ruined the entire Halo universe for me when playing Halo 2 single player and that was a 'giant talking Venus flytrap'. I also found the cinematic of Halo 3 emulating the news of reports of dead solders coming back from Iraq a bit tasteless. Though some of the books are very good indeed where some very interesting plots could be pulled for any sci fi film or game for that matter.

  • Spekingur #23 3 years ago

    Haha, media obscurification for the win!

    And later on, next year mayhaps, or with the next XBox, there will be an announcement about the release of this Halo project, surprising almost everyone.