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Peter Jackson Talks the Halo Movie 90

Posted by Zonk from the master-chief-has-his-own-chair dept.
Via Kotaku, an interview on Ain't It Cool News with Peter Jackson talking about the in-conception Halo Movie. From the article: "QUINT: Now, there's no reason on Earth shouldn't easily and faithfully be adapted into a PG-13 movie. However, do you anticipate there being a harder cut considering how gruesome the Flood aspect of the story is? PETER JACKSON: That's interesting... It's something, I must admit, that's not a conversation I've had with anybody yet. It's a conversation that I'm sure will happen. Look, the reality of the budget is that I would imagine the studio are going to be pretty insistent on a PG-13, which, as you say, is certainly not an impossible thing pull off."
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Peter Jackson Talks the Halo Movie More

Peter Jackson Talks the Halo Movie

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  • Good Writers! Please! (Score:5, Informative)

    by BWJones ( 18351 ) * on Friday September 15, 2006 @03:44PM (#16116083) Homepage Journal
    If anyone can pull this off, it might be Peter Jackson. However, I spent a ton of time with Halo in the development of the Macintosh port (alpha, beta and QA) of Halo and I'll tell you that while it has a better storyline than most of the other games out there, it's going to be a bit of a stretch to turn it into a movie. There are some fundamental themes that played through Halo (and it's ethereal predecessor Marathon) that lend the story to development into a movie. I just hope that they hire a good set of writers to help suspend disbelief. Yo Peter, atmostphere and effects can only take you so far (Star Wars prequels). If you spend your time to do this, please do it right.

    • The first and third Halo novels were pretty good. There's enough material in those for at least one good movie, as long as its written and condensed well.

      (The novelization of the game, however, stunk to high-heaven. The only even slightly interesting thing about it is that it told bits of the story from the Covenant point-of-view.)
    • Yo Peter, atmostphere and effects can only take you so far (Star Wars prequels).

      Seriously, or just like LOTR... (zzzzzzzzzz)
  • As long as Master Chief isn't played by Ben Affleck, this could be good. From the interview it sounded like they are taking their time and looking to put out a quality film. I'll be looking forward to updates.

    • Re:No Ben! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by jeffmeden ( 135043 ) on Friday September 15, 2006 @03:53PM (#16116183) Homepage Journal
      I don't care who plays the MC, as long as he doesn't take his helmet off to have a intimate 'plot building' scene with Cortana. Oh god anything but that!!! If its going to be true to the game's theme, the actual on screen presence will be nothing but a stunt man in an impressive looking space suit, and they will get the original voiceover guy to do what (few) words are necessary.
      • I didn't know Cortana's last name was .jpg.
      • No way in hell will Hollywood ever spend 100s of millions on a flick where the main character never shows his face.

        • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

          by 0100010001010011 ( 652467 )
          You mean like Hugo Weaving as V

          or

          Bill Nighy as Davy Jones.

          Nope. Never
          • How can you say Davy Jones ( http://www.paloaltoonline.com/photos/deadmansches t.jpg [paloaltoonline.com]) doesn't have a face? The whole point of that effect was that he's covered in CGI and you can still see his eyes and lips conveying the subtleties of emotion that we expect to see from actors. That is the point which I guess you missed entirely.

            People have a hardwired emotional reaction to faces. Without showing faces, its hard to convey a character's emotions. Even if the character's face is covered in tentacles, the sam
            • If you think faces can't create an emotional attachment, you need to watch Red vs Blue. Ok, so it's a comedy, but... hell, play the game. Or watch the effect the Nightmare Armor suits will have on any fanboys when a Microsoft flunkie shows up in one.

              As for the aliens, I guess you could say they do, if you can call it a face. Eyes, yes. Nose, I'm not sure. Mouth, sort of a big hole. Lips, not so much.

              And you're right, it is difficult and risky. I guess that's why American Beauty, The Matrix, and V fo

          • Re: (Score:1)

            by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
            Or David Prowse and James Earl Jones as Darth Vader.
      • Look, have you ever seen the MC without his helmet in the games? No. So, I doubt that they show his face, and if they do...well, it won't be until the end. However, Halo 3 is still coming out, so we could see his face, and then they could CG it in, or find someone remarkably similar.

        Either way, I hope they do it right. It looks like they know what they're doing.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by grumbel ( 592662 )

        I don't care who plays the MC, as long as he doesn't take his helmet off

        What would be so bad about it? Ok, the games didn't show is face either, but for what reason? I don't really see much importance in not showing his face.

        I can understand why we didn't get to see Hugo Weavings face in V for Vendetta or Darth Vaders face until the very end. But with Master Chief I don't really see the point, its just a random action-hero guy with guns who saves the day, not really that much different from the guy in

        • No one cares what the Doom guy looks like in Doom 3 for many reasons. It's a remake, he doesn't have a voice (so he's "you"), it's only in short cinematic sequences with pretty much no plot that you actually see his face...

          Compare that to Halo, where there's actually a point made about it. Beginning of Halo 2:
          CHIEF: I thought you said there weren't going to be any cameras.
          JOHNSON: And I thought you said you were going to wear something nice!

          Somewhat later:
          Cortana (cocking her head): You look nice!
          CHI
        • I know! Master Chief is really a girl under that suit, like all good futuristic helmet-wearing warriors are! Bungie obviously took a page out of Metroid's book for the final surprise at the end of Halo 3.
    • As long as he keeps his helmet on all throughout the movie, I don't care if it is Affleck. Anything'd be better better, though, than having the master chef played by toby macguire.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by aeiz ( 627513 )
      Come on, everyone knows that Master Chief is in reality none other than Spike Speigel.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Abreu ( 173023 )
      I would vote for Ray Park... the guy is excellent moving, shooting, jumping, waving lightsabers... er, nevermind

      As long as he doesnt have to actually act, or even speak, he is great to look upon the screen, which kinda makes him perfect for the role of Master Chief

      • Well, height would be an issue. The Master Chief is supposed to be over 7' tall. Ray Park is only 5'9". Of course, if Peter Jackson could convince the world that Ian McKellen is a foot and a half taller than John Rhys-Davies, he could teach Halo's director a thing or two about forced perspective.

        • I don't think it's that big of a deal. Wolverine is only 5'3" in the comics, but Hugh Jackman is 6'3". It would have been intersting to see Glenn Danzig as Wolverine, though.

          Swi

  • Ringworld (Score:2, Insightful)

    by rlp ( 11898 )
    I'd rather see them make a film of Larry Niven's Ringworld.
    • I suspect the effect budget would be staggering, even by todays standards.

      Which is precisely why it would rock.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by Quaoar ( 614366 )
        No kidding! Just imagine the kind of dough they'd have to burn just to construct the ringworld...not to mention the energy requirements to keep it gravitationally stable...everyone would have to see the movie 1e12 times just to make it economically viable!

        • I was going to rip you a new one about 1e12 = 1, but then I realized that you said everyone. Given that the world population [wikipedia.org] is apparently over 6.5 billion, everyone going to see the film once would net them incredible income.

      • Really? Why? You have movies that are 100% effects (see: anything by Pixar), movies that are live-action but where every scene has at least one effect (see: Star Wars prequels) and movies with just insane sets + effects (see: LOTR) - the budgets were certainly not tiny but they were by no means absurd. I don't see why Ringworld would be more expensive than any of those (in fact, I think it would be less expensive, since many of the challenges it would present would have been solved by the previously mention

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by gatkinso ( 15975 )
          Just the CGI to deptct the Fleet of Worlds in a way that does them justice would be... out of this world. Heehee.
    • With a movie such as that I could vaporize the earth! ...

      It was a natural thought.
    • Or the Integral Trees. :-)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ClamIAm ( 926466 )
      Yeah, I can imagine it now: a 6 hour movie, the first 3 of which are spent just getting to Ringworld. Dear lord that was a boring book.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by rlp ( 11898 )
      Apparently some folks are unaware of the origin of the setting for Halo. The physicist Dyson postulated the Dyson sphere. Larry Niven wrote the novel "Ringworld" set in a structure representing a variation (a slice) of a Dyson sphere. The first Halo game is set on a small version of the Ringworld.

  • Stay true to the original! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Kirin Fenrir ( 1001780 ) on Friday September 15, 2006 @03:51PM (#16116160)
    It just wouldn't be Halo if half the sets didn't consist of identical, honeycomb-like corridors.

  • Master Chief Rocks (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Gallenod ( 84385 ) on Friday September 15, 2006 @03:52PM (#16116162)
    The only choice for Master Chief is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Anyone else cool enough is too old for the role.

    (Sorry, Samuel L. Jackson.)

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      But Samuel L. Jackson would be superb as the Sergeant.

      • Re:Master Chief Rocks (Score:4, Funny)

        by SanityInAnarchy ( 655584 ) <ninja@slaphack.com> on Friday September 15, 2006 @08:33PM (#16118053) Journal
        Oh, hell yes.

        "Men, we have led these dumb bastards far away to keep them from gettin' their filthy claws on Earth. Instead, we stumbled on something so hot for 'em, they're scrambling over each other to get it. Well, I don't care if its God's own anti-son-of-a-bitch machine or a giant hula hoop, but we won't let them have it! What we will let them have is a belly full of lead and a pool of their own blood to drown in! Am I right, Marines?"

    • Re:Master Chief Rocks (Score:4, Funny)

      by stunt_penguin ( 906223 ) on Friday September 15, 2006 @04:20PM (#16116427)
      What about Chuck Norris? I've heard impressive things about him on t'internet.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Mard ( 614649 )
        They tried to get Chuck Norris, but his schedule was filled for the next six millenia. Saving the universe is hard work.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by nmb3000 ( 741169 )
      The only choice for Master Chief is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Anyone else cool enough is too old for the role.

      Why not see if Steve Downes will do it? As the man who voices Master Chief in the games, I think it would be great to hear him in the movie.
      • I think it should be him for the voice, and maybe anonymous stuntmen in a suit, depending on whether he can or wants to actually play the walking role of the Chief.

        I mean, let's face it, he doesn't exactly look [bungie.org] like the Chief.
    • What about Vin Diesel? As much as I don't like him, he's gotten the action-type movies before (Riddick) and he's built, so I don't see how he couldn't do it.
    • Sorry, Samuel L. Jackson

      maybe not MC, but he'd make one bad ass sergeant Johnson!

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by lorg ( 578246 )
      Sure, cause he did such a wonderful job with Doom *yuck* *yuck* *yuck*

      Not that it matters thou, as I recall it the MC never takes of his helmet. Hench they could just go with someone that will be alot cheaper instead. Perhaps even be so bold as to pick someone that can actually act.
    • The only choice for Master Chief is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Anyone else cool enough is too old for the role.

      (Sorry, Samuel L. Jackson.)



      If MC never appears without his helmet then you can just have any suitably tall stunt guy or even yao ming be MC and have Keith David (deep deep voice) do the voice. Suitable authoratative and partially bad ass.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
      David Hyde Pierce is the only man for the role.

      -Eric

  • Not like we ever get to See Master Chiefs Face.

  • For A Semi-Preview (Score:4, Informative)

    by sesshomaru ( 173381 ) on Friday September 15, 2006 @04:06PM (#16116299) Journal
    See "Alive in Joburg" a short, low budget film by the same director:

    http://www.spyfilms.com/sr_whatsnew/default.asp?mv =1.mov&&w=1001&h=731 [spyfilms.com]

  • RvB Cameo (Score:3, Interesting)

    by RumGunner ( 457733 ) on Friday September 15, 2006 @04:31PM (#16116510) Homepage
    I really hope they will sneak in some red vs. blue references. I can't think of Halo and not think of that series.
    • It would make it hard to keep it PG-13, I don't think fucktard falls under the PG-13 vocabulary.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Kardall ( 886095 )
        I don't know about you, but I heard 13 year olds saying fucktard more than they say they're sorry around here. I think they should change the rating schema. =D
  • The three Halo books would certainly not rank as rated R. Just because I would consider them PG13 however, doesn't mean the writing and story is not very competent and compelling. I highly recommend them - they're all really well written, and the storyline is fantastic. If you like military sci fi, you might want to check them out:

    http://www.amazon.com/Books-Flood-First-Strike-Re a ch/dp/0345473043/sr=8-3/qid=1158355563/ref=sr_1_3/ 102-4060738-4988146?ie=UTF8&s=books [amazon.com]

    For those that have already read

  • I'm far more interested in what, if anything, Peter Jackson has planed for Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" series [wikipedia.org] which he recently optioned.
    • I'm far more interested in what, if anything, Peter Jackson has planed for Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" series which he recently optioned.

      Same here. I just finished the latest book a couple of weeks ago.

      I read the first part of the interview [aintitcool.com], but it seems like Jackson is way too early in the process to have anything beyond, "This would be really cool."

  • I mean, didn't Red Vs. Blue already capture everything that was worthwhile about Halo on film?
  • I want to see David Cross play 'sassy marine voiced by David Cross.'

    Master Chief can just keep his helmet on and let his plucky, sarcastic, pessimistic bald marine sidekick do all the emoting.
  • I think the movie should draw from the book, and the events of the game should be the last 1/3 of the movie. To be honest, the events of the movie are far too little to make a whole 2 hour movie. The book, which described the events leading up to the game, was not bad though. That would format the movie more like 'Conan', with the first half of the movie the 'growing up' period of the protagonist.

    Also, The Chief wasn't so taciturn in the book.

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