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Rumor: Steven Spielberg is Now Developing the Halo Movie?!

by Alex Billington
August 8, 2009
Source: IESB

Whoa, wait, when did this happen?! Our friends at IESB are reporting a considerably exciting rumor that Steven Spielberg has taken over development on the Halo movie that Peter Jackson previously tried to make. They're saying they've confirmed this "with studio executives and our close ties to CAA" and that it's legit. Let's not forget that Jackson and Spielberg are working together on Tintin, so they've probably had plenty of time to talk about bringing one of the greatest video games in history to the big screen. But why is Jackson letting Spielberg take over so easily? Is it because he doesn't have time with The Hobbit coming up?

Apparently Spielberg took a look at the script that Stuart Beattie had written in his free time (remember this concept art?) for a Halo movie titled Halo: Fall of Reach and was "blown away" by it. Other connections between Spielberg and Beattie are that they're both repped by the talent agency CAA. And then there's the little fact that Spielberg was a special guest during Microsoft's E3 presentation for their new Project Natal (watch that video) and still reps it on their website. Oh yea and during that presentation, Spielberg even said he was a big gamer (if we can believe that). So all the pieces are there, maybe this does all make sense?

I'm one of those people who believes that a Halo movie could be (and deserves to be) as epic, exciting, and legendary as the game itself still is. And obviously it will take a lot of time and money to pull something like that off, as well as a creative team that is second to none. Peter Jackson was the first big step in the right direction, but then all of that fell apart. Now if it's true that Spielberg has stepped up instead, he couldn't be a more acceptable alternative and one of only a few that I would trust handling a franchise like this. And with that, I hope all this turns out true, because I'd love to see a Spielberg Halo movie. What about you?

Filed under Hype, Movie News, Rumors

From around the web:

TylerM

Can't say I saw this possibility.
MSJS1

Spielberg will talk Jackson into going back to Halo with him. Just wait and see.
Taylor

I'm satisfied with Spielberg at the helm. Production values would be insane.
jay-z

hell yeah.
SuicidalOptimist

Jeez, how does that man have time for this? Just looking at the "Related Articles" makes it seem like he should be absolutely swamped for a while.
sean

o yeah spielberg is amazing and i definitly believe in him
DoomCanoe

Spielberg will do wonders with a Halo movie. I doubt he will get Jackson back on the project though (because of the Hobbit and all the work needed with that).
Sleepykid

He may have a spare finger in the pie, but I can't see Spielberg directing a Halo movie. Not unless he can turn it into yet another parental issues tract, of course.
http://www.guyeatsoctopus.com guyeatsoctopus

I guess Spielberg can be bought. Maybe he can make Halo into something decent. Other than multiplayer, halo is just another overhyped fps.
the dude

Is it really hard to believe Spielberg is a gamer? I don't think he has to convince anyone of anything...but hope this alleged story/rumor is true.
http://www.guyeatsoctopus.com guyeatsoctopus

They won't use guns in this movie, they'll use flash lights and reese's pieces .
David Banner

"Spielberg even said he was a big gamer (if we can believe that)"-he has 6(?) kids, everyone who has kids are gamers, aren't they? Think I should get around to play Halo, I have no idea what this is all about, if Spielberg is into it aswell, it must be good(??). I sorta missed out on that game series....
ray

#12 dont worry ur not missing out on much, over-rated arcade shooter if u ask me....
RivasEN

You know, my first instinct is to be suspicious of this announcement's authenticity. It seems that there is a lot of guessing going on here. I saw the Pseudo confirmation that was stated on the original report, however, I would be more excited if I saw this officially from Spielberg's camp. That being said, I don't know how I feel about a Spielberg halo movie to be honest. Yes, I remember Saving Private Ryan and I remember how exciting and human he made those action scenes. but I am sobered by how much research and back ground is available for a real war like World War 2. I know and love Halo, I see the potential for a real human touch to this Sci Fi Epic!! as some of the in game cinematics shows us along with all the back ground source material that has been made. I will be excited once I know this is really happening and even then it will be a retrained excitement..
Robbie

I agree with #2.
600RR

Doom was an epic shotter in its time and we all know how that movie came out. I am a little worried.
Xerxex

you know I think this is right up his alley, after all Spielberg is a big alien fan so perhaps this could be something, a Halo movie we all deserve, I just wish they would base it off of one of the great novels that spawned from the Halo franchise!
Cody

Yeah what #13 said very overrated series only good thing is the story...which I get the feeling Spielberg is gonna make this just another lots o' explosions guns and blood movie. I was hoping a smaller time director would pick it up like Blomkamp was. Honestly rather see this put away. Not that I think Spielberg is bad its just hes been responsible for so many mainstream action movies I dont want him to take control of this and make just another 100 million dollar action flick.
Chris W

Spielberg rarely disappoints...this may just be a turning point for the Halo movie.
d1rEct

I think this movie will be really difficult to pull off, because it's going to need a huge budget and the worldwide gross will need to be huge.
http://twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu

Yes, Alex, if you had done only a couple of minutes of research you would be aware that Spielberg has rather famously been a serious gamer since at least the '80s. He's designed - or at least had a hand in - several games as well. The Dig back in the '90s, for example, and more recently the Boom Blox games for the Wii. A peek at Medal Of Honor's Wikipedia page would see him listed as that game's creator, and, as you point out in your own news item, he is actively involved with Microsoft's attempt to cash in on the motion control bandwagon, Project Natal. So I think he can be trusted with a videogame movie. At least, he's got to be better than Uwe Boll and Paul W.S. Anderson...
http://erikkeating.blogspot.com erik

it would be like Saving Private Ryan but 500+ years in the FUTURE!!! I think hes a great choice.
Jonathan

Spielberg, Blomkamp, Jackson...they'd all do a great job. But here's the thing...Spielberg has the power to make this happen. Jackson is a big name, but not nearly as big as Spielberg. Is Spielberg wants Halo funded and made, it will be funded and made. After all, he does control DreamWorks. Spielberg would be perfect for the project, and his name might make many people adverse to the idea give the film a chance. Here's hoping it happens--and I hope they use the Beattie script. Telling the story from the games wouldn't quite work, but Fall of Reach is a great story to start with.
Stew

I think i cummed a little when I first saw this.......
Wylles

It would be a dream come true...
meatcarnage

this movie should start EXACTLY like saving private ryan's d-day scene with equal gore.
TheFamilyMan

I hear he is bringing in jar jar binks for the lead. Any truth to that? I thnk Lucas wouldn't allow it to happen *shrug* Is this for the wii or PS3?
Mark

Don't know anything about Halo. All I do know is that if you have a movie idea based on a video or board game, a toy anything, a sequel, a prequel, a remake now is the time to bring it to Hollywood because chances no matter how ridiculous you idea is, it will be made.
Tra la la la la di da

Overrated game and movie that will disappoint. I have no hope for anything really anymore; not initially at least until there is some footage. For now though, just have to see. The story was fun, I thought the 3rd sucked overall though. I was kinda hoping this would never happen but oh well. Let's see if it's ruined or not. F.E.A.R. be a better story to run with. The visuals for Halo is what'll win it over. To see a preview, watch Avatar! lol Cameron and his unoriginal ideas.
JimD

Microsoft probably had a bit of a money initiative in this.
http://yahoo.com Fubar

I just want to say that i have been waiting on this news for years, and that its about time someone finally cowboyed the fuck up an shit and got off the pot with this movie, praise Steven Spielberg for this. If this movie gets made it will undoubtedly and most definitely be way more epic than such great franchises as Lord of the Rings and Matrix flicks. That is if its done right. And yes i am a great fan and TRUE gamger. Alright then, having said that on to you few who are bashing the game itself. Im sorry that you suck at life and suck at the game, you skeptical bastards who were abused and destroyed at Halo online are probably the ones with the derogatory comments above. To you so-called gamers who think Halo is just a overrated FPS; go eat a big bag of wet, shit covered monkey dicks. Any true gamer knows that Halo is the sole reason for the sucess of the X-box, it launched the damn console for fucks sake. When Halo came out countless hours were wasted on them. Many beers were drank in the Frat houses while hooking up several tvs to some multiplayer. So to the loyal followers who have kept this dream with-in arms reach i say, thank you, and to you few who want to see it fail, go die in a fire somewhere.
http://rhptkfgs.blogspot.com ramez

"one of the greatest video games in history to the big screen" Hooray for exaggerated article leads!
David C

THE GRAETEST GAME IN HISTORY SHOULD STAY AS A GAME They would fuck it up and just make it for everyone and it would be a 12A Think about it first just dont say u would like a halo film just because you like the game But if they do make a film, Bungie should have 80% of control and they should make sure that there is no famous actor playing Master Cheif where he takes his mask of in the first 20 mins. I really dont like the idea of a Halo Film, because i love the 3 games so much
Jake Sully

This is excellent news hope everything works out!!!
Tra la la la la di da

ROFLMFAO!!! Fubar, I owned at that game. You probably never even got close to beating Halo 2 on the hardest settings. It's sad really. The online portion was good, which if you were even semi-intelligent, you'd have notice no one mentioned that. Never the less, it launched the XBOX but what does that mean? Sonic launched Sega and look where that is. Oh wait, it's the XBOX. A true gamer would know this and it's ok you don't and you're such a fanboy of another FPS game, that's fine. Never the less, it's all true. I beat the first one in less than a day and the second in...roughly a day. Hardest settings, well, that did take awhile but me and a buddy managed through after a week. But oh, when I mentioned the days, I mean that. Straight play, the week was one and off a few hours and then for the hardest settings we just left it on and played on and off. So, yeah, sorry to disappoint but it's not people that sucked at the game. There are plenty that don't that hate it, but I guess a true gamer is only surrounded by fanboys.
nick

One of the greatest games in history? A regular AAA shooter is still just an AAA shooter. Hyperbole about the gaming industry is a bad idea, because the industry itself is built on hype and *everyone* has an opinion. Next time you consider saying that, be prepared for 25 pages of console-vs-pc, halo-vs-goldeneye, valve-vs-id. And that's just the First Person Shooter genre.
Tra la la la la di da

^True dat Nick. He probably hasn't even played the PC version which I've heard arguments between console and PC users on that game alone even though both agreed it's a great game but called the console users sissies cause of the different gameplay and how much easier it is. There is a difference and the PC version > console.
http://Teamxbox.com Unseen

I dont know why everyone is arguing about the game, THIS IS A MOVIE SITE!! The game is only a fraction of the Halo Universe(granted we have only seen Halo through games) but the books and comics open up the universe sooooo much more. The movie does have potential to be EPIC and if they are willing to go to the R realm could make some pretty memorable scenes ala Saving Private Ryan. Fingers Crossed.
David C

But Unseen it wont be like that ( Saving Private Ryan ) because it wouldnt make enough money in the cinema, its going to be made for kids & Playstation Fans, everything but Xbox, PC & Novel Fans I hope Bungie can stop this from happening ( even tho they probaley want it to happen ) They should just make more games about different parts of the Halo universe. And yes i already know that ODST & REACH Is coming out. im a dick because even tho i dont want a film to come out i would still watch it if it did lol
SS

The game doesn't really factor into this. If you want to be strict about it... It's a movie: "Approved based on a screenplay by Stuart Beattie that is in turn based on the novel 'Halo: Fall of Reach' by Eric Nylund". So.. it's basically a tract down the same roads as other "novel-adaptations". I doubt the game factors in anywhere except maybe for Costume, Set, and Creature references.
Ajax

Although I've only played the first one, I do think it's a tad overated. Still, with Speilberg at the helm I'd definitely see it.
Cody

With Spielberg involved with this movie, I'm gonna have to pass. I hate Halo as much as any serious gamer, but a movie about Reach would have been worth seeing. However, after he COMPLETELY FUCKED UP Indiana Jones 4, it seems even Spielberg himself can't do aliens correctly.
splinter

NO NO NO NO NO , If Spielberg does this i will pass as well, i mean halo is a fun game, most people hate it because it because it is not made for the hardcore gamer its made for the Average gamer market which holds the most profit so get over it, but overall Spielberg ummm no
Stinkywinky

If he even considers Shia LaBeouf as one of the cast members, I'm going to shoot myself. Also the movie better be rated R.
David C

To me when im playing the game it already feels like im playing a movie so it is not needed. I noticed alot of people on this page seem to be jealous of the halo game. Its not for hardcore gamers but i supose Gears of war is ( yeah right its the biggest overrated game ive ever seen )
Terminator

Yeah ur right david c Gears is overated and they shouldnt make a movie. LEAVE IT ALONE
nick

This is amazing!
Rilind

#42 you can be a serious gamer and like the Halo series....in fact what classifies someone as a serious gamer? What in your all knowing opinion is a serious game? And to #31...shut up you give halo gamers a bad name and just add to the stereotype of Halo fans being retarded, obnoxious, ignorant, and 12 year old brats who have a vulgarous limited vocabulary. People can dislike a game and people can like a game....its just the way the world works.
crumb

boring game = boring movie. Pass.
matt

1.) #48 I agree with you. What do you mean serious gamers #42? So what do you call team 3d? One of the most successful pro gaming teams. If they arent serious gamers then what is? If anything those guys are hardcore to the bone. 2.) The halo story is anything but bland. True maybe bungie focused too much on the covenant in halo 2 according to some people and in halo 3 it didnt tell enough because a big part of their focus was on multiplayer community some of which have never touched campaign mode. But look at the bigger picture. The fan base for Halo is huge. In terms of Machinima, art, literature, their is a huge fan base continually pushing deeper into the halo world. This story is so deep and rich its like star wars and how people can never stop adding to it. So maybe Bungie screwed up in how they told the story in the games (that opinion is not mine but of others), but take a step back stop scrutinizing and see what bungie was trying to accomplish. Read the books and all the other fan based material. 3.) Halo was the launchpad for Xbox and helped it to be recognized as the fps gamers choice. I mean halo 2 with the removal of the health bar and just the shield echoed in games after it who chose to forgo with the health bar and more of a regenerating health like in halo 2. Halo 3 made $ 300 Million its first week of sales. That must mean something about what people think of this franchise. 4.) Peter Jackson did a good job with LOTR. Spielberg has a has a good track record. Maybe some movies were not as good as others. But he has produced fabulous pieces of work. And with Halo and a fanbase that is as big as it is, Im sure we will be taken into consideration in that we want a movie that is true to the story line, intense, deep, and kicks ass.
Mast3r ch33f

epic game+right people working=good movie, i wish people would just shut up bashing the idea of the movie you don't know who would be in it or what the movie would look like everyone bashing this movie please tell me can you all read minds? can you? no? the shut the fuck up