DreamWorks is attempting to pick up the rights to a Halo film. However, if history is any kind of teacher, it could be a bad decision.
The halting, years-long effort to turn Microsoft’s $2 billion Halo video-game franchise into a movie is again moving forward [..] DreamWorks Pictures is renewing its efforts to obtain the rights and revive the project, which has been in a state of suspended animation since late 2006. It's obvious why this property seems even more valuable now. Halo: Reach grossed $200 million on its very first day in release last month, making it 2010's best-selling game. But after Fox and Universal already dumped millions of dollars into developing the project only to come up with nothing, why does DreamWorks seem so intent on trying, and how will they steal away with this franchise without getting sucked into the other two studios' money pit?
[After] all of these years, many wonder whether the idea of a Halo movie is an impossibility. Because while Hollywood politics derailed the first go-round, there are also Microsoft politics that lay in wait. Somebody has to be in control of a movie; it’s a director’s medium. But they’re completely averse to that. Because if Steven Spielberg [screws] it up, what’s your recourse? So the rule is: ‘First, do no harm.’
Maybe so, but if anyone has enough street cred to get Microsoft to relax, it's Spielberg. One can imagine him casually turning to Microsoft's Steve Ballmer at dinner and murmuring, "Halo's only made $2 billion worldwide? I thought it was like, a big deal or something? I mean, my films have grossed $8.5 billion worldwide, so ... well. Anyway, who'd like dessert?"
Hollywood has been scraping and scrounging for movie ideas for a very long time now. If films of popular cartoons and children's books can make a mint, why not the most popular video game of 2010?
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12 comments:
Doesn't Peter Jackson still own the rights? (Even though most of what he was planning was eventually salvaged into "District 9".)
They'll have to work hard to put together a compelling story and characters, something the game doesn't have. Fun to play, but ultimately just another shoot-em up game for kids.
video game movies don't work.
They don't? Funny .. but you could have fooled me.
Consider yourself fooled then.
"They don't? Funny .. but you could have fooled me."
Resident Evil Movies
Prince of Persia
Tomb Rader
Thank you for proving me right. Just because they make money doesn't mean they're any good.
Are you kidding? "Doom" was a masterpiece!
So was "Street Fighter" and "Mario Brothers". They made cinema history!
rufus
Right - because in the movie business, quality is what counts over financial return. What's the color of the sky in your world?
^ ^
Brown. It's made up from all the shit that goes on around here.
"Just because they make money does not mean they are good" Jeebuz,I hate that holier-than-F'ing-thou attitude. Sorry there, Oh Enlightened One but because it made a lot of $$$ DOES mean that a large percentage of the masses did think it was good - at least good enough to get 'em into the theater.
Before you get all heated, remember the lifespan of one of these gems - Two years in various stages of production, two weeks in the theater and finally two-for-one at Walmart.
""but because it made a lot of $$$ DOES mean that a large percentage of the masses did think it was good - at least good enough to get 'em into the theater.""
yes marketing did a good enough job to get them into the theatre. and there are popular franchises. within the video game - movie genre. however if you were to weight the successful to unsuccessful video game films against each other you'd see the ratio is against the successful.
Prince of Persia
Tomb Rader
Thank you for proving me right. Just because they make money doesn't mean they're any good.
Wait, RE4, Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider made money??
I was sort of under the impression 9:55 was being sarcastic.
Are you kidding? "Doom" was a masterpiece!
So was "Street Fighter" and "Mario Brothers". They made cinema history!
I'll give you Doom (for at least demonstrating that you CAN do game canon onscreen) and Street Fighter '94 (for demonstrating how hard it is to have an intentionally tongue-in-cheek spirit and get it right), but Mario??
I hope you weren't being facetious about the others.
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