LOS ANGELES (June 10) - 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures are teaming up to make a feature film adaptation of the Microsoft video game "Halo."
Negotiations still were under way late Thursday, but under the deal, Universal will take domestic rights and Fox will handle international on the project. Further components could be included in the agreement.
The deal -- based on a script by "28 Days Later" scribe Alex Garland -- caused a stir earlier in the week when Garland's agents at Creative Artists Agency sent it out via a messenger clad in a "Halo"-esque green costume. The deal came bearing some pretty stiff terms, including a two-hour bidding period and demands for a $10 million advance against 15% of the gross. The script was commissioned by Microsoft, which also brought in producer Peter Schlessel to work on the project.
The town balked at the conditions, and the current deal is said to be much less than those initial demands.
Thanks to the large fan base created by the 2001 "Halo" game, "Halo 2," which shipped in the fall, sold 2.4 million units worldwide in its first 24 hours. "Halo 2" generated $125 million in sales in its first day and has gone on to sell more than 6.6 million units worldwide. The "Halo" franchise has topped sales of 13 million worldwide, generating more than $600 million in four years.
Microsoft purchased game developer Bungie in June 2000 specifically for the "Halo" game it was developing at the time.
The "Halo" sci-fi video game franchise tells the story of Master Chief, a superwarrior bred for combat. As humanity's last defense against an invading alien race known as the Covenant, Master Chief has almost single-handedly saved the world twice. The first game marooned Master Chief and a squad of Marines on an ancient ring world called Halo 04, where they defeat the aliens, led by the Arbiter, and blow up the planet.
"Halo 2" expanded the story line to include both the human perspective and the Covenant view of the war. The game features epic battles on Earth between hundreds of thousands of Marines and invading Covenant armies, a Covenant capital ship called High Charity and another ring world called Halo 05. The story allows players to step into the role of the alien Arbiter, the same creature Master Chief defeated in the first game.
In addition to being a great first-person shooter for Xbox, the "Halo" games won over a large worldwide audience with beautiful graphics, intuitive gameplay and an engaging story line -- much of which unfolded through in-game cinematics. "Halo 3" is expected to ship next year for Microsoft's next-generation console, Xbox 360, which will bring high-definition graphics to the game's alternate universe.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Negotiations still were under way late Thursday, but under the deal, Universal will take domestic rights and Fox will handle international on the project. Further components could be included in the agreement.
The deal -- based on a script by "28 Days Later" scribe Alex Garland -- caused a stir earlier in the week when Garland's agents at Creative Artists Agency sent it out via a messenger clad in a "Halo"-esque green costume. The deal came bearing some pretty stiff terms, including a two-hour bidding period and demands for a $10 million advance against 15% of the gross. The script was commissioned by Microsoft, which also brought in producer Peter Schlessel to work on the project.
The town balked at the conditions, and the current deal is said to be much less than those initial demands.
Thanks to the large fan base created by the 2001 "Halo" game, "Halo 2," which shipped in the fall, sold 2.4 million units worldwide in its first 24 hours. "Halo 2" generated $125 million in sales in its first day and has gone on to sell more than 6.6 million units worldwide. The "Halo" franchise has topped sales of 13 million worldwide, generating more than $600 million in four years.
Microsoft purchased game developer Bungie in June 2000 specifically for the "Halo" game it was developing at the time.
The "Halo" sci-fi video game franchise tells the story of Master Chief, a superwarrior bred for combat. As humanity's last defense against an invading alien race known as the Covenant, Master Chief has almost single-handedly saved the world twice. The first game marooned Master Chief and a squad of Marines on an ancient ring world called Halo 04, where they defeat the aliens, led by the Arbiter, and blow up the planet.
"Halo 2" expanded the story line to include both the human perspective and the Covenant view of the war. The game features epic battles on Earth between hundreds of thousands of Marines and invading Covenant armies, a Covenant capital ship called High Charity and another ring world called Halo 05. The story allows players to step into the role of the alien Arbiter, the same creature Master Chief defeated in the first game.
In addition to being a great first-person shooter for Xbox, the "Halo" games won over a large worldwide audience with beautiful graphics, intuitive gameplay and an engaging story line -- much of which unfolded through in-game cinematics. "Halo 3" is expected to ship next year for Microsoft's next-generation console, Xbox 360, which will bring high-definition graphics to the game's alternate universe.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
