Ex-Halo movie director, Neill Blomkamp says he "probably wouldn't do" the Master Chief's big screen adaptation if it was offered to him again today.
The South African newcomer was lined up to helm the Halo flick before it collapsed thanks to money disputes between film studios. You can see his work in the Halo short below, but now Blomkamp's about to launch his excellent-looking Peter Jackson-produced debut, District 9 - which is basically the Halo film without the Halo.
"The answer is, I probably wouldn't do Halo if it was offered to me," the director told Slash Film. "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... I worked on it for five months... I put a lot of sort of sweat and blood into Halo.
Neill Blomkamp's 'Halo Combat: Part I' Movie
Official trailer
1:37Must see: Blomkamp's latest Halo movie, Combat: Part I, in glorious direct-feed-o-vision. Watch it. Now!
Neill Blomkamp's 'Halo Combat: Part I' Movie
Official trailer
1:37Must see: Blomkamp's latest Halo movie, Combat: Part I, in glorious direct-feed-o-vision. Watch it. Now!
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Neill Blomkamp's 'Halo Combat: Part I' Movie
Official trailer
1:37Must see: Blomkamp's latest Halo movie, Combat: Part I, in glorious direct-feed-o-vision. Watch it. Now!
"Creatively, it's very compelling. I love it. But, when you work that long on something and you have it bottom out and collapse... I mean, I got District 9 out of it, I think I'm probably better off because it's more of a personal film. But yeah, I love the world of Halo. I don't think I would go back there."
Would-be Halo exec producer, Peter Jackson said of the film yesterday: "District 9 was definitely born out of the Halo film ruins, and we wouldn't have seen this movie if Halo had gone ahead. I have always felt that if fate is taking you somewhere, don't fight it."
There's no way we'll be able to watch District 9 without imagining how great Master Chief on the big screen could've been.
Is it me or does Neil Blomkamp just make no sense at all?
Ditto...
"The answer is, I probably wouldn't do Halo if it was offered to me, 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... I worked on it for five months... But yeah, I love the world of Halo. I don't think I would go back there."
That has got to be a contender for WTF statement of the year...
Is it me or does Neil Blomkamp just make no sense at all?
Ditto...
"The answer is, I probably wouldn't do Halo if it was offered to me, 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... I worked on it for five months... But yeah, I love the world of Halo. I don't think I would go back there."
That has got to be a contender for WTF statement of the year...
It comes across as contradictory but it does make sense from a certain perspective. Because he worked so hard for five months on making a "Halo" movie happen only to have it bottom out left him gutted. That he enjoys the "Halo" universe privately as well only makes it all the more difficult to swallow that proverbial bitter pill. You can liken it to someone not wanting to put themself out on the dating scene because they got burnt the last time they did it, and yet they long to find love. Similar concept here.
I'll make it - give me the money Jackson and I'll get my camcorder out. Should be easy considering the quality of most game based films so far. I could make it in my garden and it would be better than Super Mario Bros with Bob Hoskins (that really was a bad film).
I'll make it - give me the money Jackson and I'll get my camcorder out. Should be easy considering the quality of most game based films so far. I could make it in my garden and it would be better than Super Mario Bros with Bob Hoskins (that really was a bad film).
And going by the standard of even the best game-movie attempts you can still take extreme liberties with the story.
Ignoring the horrendous fact that Doom's baddies had some kind of superhuman disease rather than being creatures let through a portal from hell, I almost wet myself laughing when it said the infected had been given an extra chromosome turning them into these creatures.
I learnt at GCSE what happens what people were born with an extra chromosome...anyone else?
That's right boys and girls - the baddies in Doom had Down Syndrome.
A film based on a game? 200 million dollar budget? The director's main credentials 'a transforming robot car advertisement'? What could go wrong?
lol
To be fair I can understand the decision the studios took not to go ahead (although District 9 looks great). I think Neil is saying he loved being part of the concept and that he put a lot of work into it but when it collapsed, he wasted months of his time.
Hopefully someone else will pick it up ... come on Spielberg … you know you want to be the best and you can only achieve this when you place a big green metal boot up the bottom of Star Wars' universal acclaim.
CVG have taken people out of context again, I watched an interview with Jackson and Blomkamp and they didn't say they 'wouldn't' do it if it was offered again. Jackson even went on to suggest that if Microsoft decided to self finance the film and came back to them they would do it. As it was studio politics that put the spanner in the works the last time a Microsoft funded project would be the logical approach and would give PJ and NB more creative freedom with the Halo brand.
I'll make it - give me the money Jackson and I'll get my camcorder out. Should be easy considering the quality of most game based films so far. I could make it in my garden and it would be better than Super Mario Bros with Bob Hoskins (that really was a bad film).
And going by the standard of even the best game-movie attempts you can still take extreme liberties with the story.
Ignoring the horrendous fact that Doom's baddies had some kind of superhuman disease rather than being creatures let through a portal from hell, I almost wet myself laughing when it said the infected had been given an extra chromosome turning them into these creatures.
I learnt at GCSE what happens what people were born with an extra chromosome...anyone else?
That's right boys and girls - the baddies in Doom had Down Syndrome.
Agreed, it was pretty laughable, especially when they already had a perfectly good recipe for a movie if they had just followed the story of the games. I swear they intentionally try to make these movies based on games as embarrasingly terrible as they can. That's why I don't hold much hope for the Dead Space movie.
CVG have taken people out of context again, I watched an interview with Jackson and Blomkamp and they didn't say they 'wouldn't' do it if it was offered again. Jackson even went on to suggest that if Microsoft decided to self finance the film and came back to them they would do it. As it was studio politics that put the spanner in the works the last time a Microsoft funded project would be the logical approach and would give PJ and NB more creative freedom with the Halo brand.
Microsoft Film Studios anyone? Rock on!
It certainly sounds like it's within reach if MS were to decide that's what it wants to do. Sure, MS has other projects and obligations but I remain confident the resources are there if the will is. Thanks for the pleasant daydream you've provided!
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