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'Halo' is headed for the big screen
Live-action film to be based on Microsoft video game
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/237917_msfthalo25.html
By TODD BISHOP
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
A Microsoft Corp. product is headed to the big screen for the first time -- but don't worry, moviegoers won't be asked to suffer through two hours of Clippy.
The company's "Halo" video-game franchise and its hero, Master Chief, will provide the basis for a major movie under a deal between Microsoft and movie studios Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox.
Microsoft confirmed the agreement Wednesday after months of speculation in Hollywood and the video-game world. The company declined to disclose the financial terms, but Daily Variety reported that Microsoft will receive 10 percent of the box-office receipts, including a guaranteed $5 million in advance.
Universal Pictures, the lead studio, was attracted to the project by the popularity of "Halo," and the game's underlying plot, said Universal spokesman Paul Pflug.
Both "Halo" games have been blockbusters for Microsoft's Xbox console. The second, last year's "Halo 2," brought in more than $125 million in sales on its first day.
"Anytime you have an intellectual property with such a great fan base and a back story, you really have a great place to start for a movie," Pflug said. "It allows us to do many things in conjunction with Microsoft."
A release date hasn't been set, but there's a "strong possibility" the movie will be out sometime in 2007, Pflug said.
Universal will have ultimate creative control of the movie, Pflug said, although Microsoft is expected to work in close consultation with the studio. Representatives of Bungie Studios, the Microsoft unit that makes the "Halo" games, will serve as creative consultants on the film.
The idea is "to make sure that the spirit of the movie is in tune with the spirit of the video game," said Carlos de Leon, Microsoft Xbox spokesman.
Microsoft was able to make the deal despite some bold initial demands that made the major film studios bristle. According to reports in Variety and The New York Times, Microsoft originally sought a more lucrative deal and more say in the production of the movie, among other perks.
The company's desire to be intimately involved in the movie underscores the significance of the "Halo" franchise, said Schelley Olhava, video-game analyst research firm IDC.
"Microsoft takes a lot of care with the 'Halo' license," Olhava said. "It tells you just how important it is to them."
The company also took the unusual step of hiring a writer to draft the script before approaching the studios. It chose Alex Garland, the screenwriter known for such movies as "The Beach" and "28 Days Later."
The "Halo" movie's producer will be Peter Schlessel, former Columbia Pictures president.
The star of the "Halo" games is Master Chief, a cyborg hero who bravely takes on armies of alien invaders. It should come as no surprise that he will become Microsoft's first movie star. The company, for example, would have had a hard time selling a script based on the much-maligned Clippy virtual assistant formerly featured in its Office product.
"Master Chief has captured the imagination of young people just like rock stars or actors have in previous generations," Microsoft spokesman de Leon said. "There is no question that there's an enormous amount of interest around this movie."
But Microsoft and Universal may have their work cut out for them. The challenge with movies adapted from video games is that they often feel "like standing in an arcade and watching someone play from over their shoulder," said Brandon Gray, president and publisher of Box Office Mojo, an online movie publication and box-office reporting service.
A notable exception has been the "Tomb Raider" movies, he said, but those had the advantage of featuring an iconic character widely recognized even by people who hadn't played the games.
The "Halo" movie will be live action, not animated, but Universal declined to give many details beyond that, such as the potential star or cast.
In the "Halo" games, Master Chief is hidden behind armor covering his full body and head. It's not yet clear how the film studio will tackle the challenge of translating such a character to the big screen.
Even if the movie does spectacularly well, the direct financial return would be a drop in the bucket for Microsoft, which posted almost $40 billion in revenue last year. But the "Halo" game franchise stands to benefit significantly from the exposure that a major movie would bring.
"I think it's exclusively a move to boost the brand," said Matt Rosoff, analyst at research firm Directions on Microsoft.
Microsoft's de Leon declined to say whether the company would aim to issue a new installment in the "Halo" video-game series in conjunction with the movie's release.
_________________________________________________________________
Hail Master Chief !
Live-action film to be based on Microsoft video game
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/237917_msfthalo25.html
By TODD BISHOP
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
A Microsoft Corp. product is headed to the big screen for the first time -- but don't worry, moviegoers won't be asked to suffer through two hours of Clippy.
The company's "Halo" video-game franchise and its hero, Master Chief, will provide the basis for a major movie under a deal between Microsoft and movie studios Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox.
Microsoft confirmed the agreement Wednesday after months of speculation in Hollywood and the video-game world. The company declined to disclose the financial terms, but Daily Variety reported that Microsoft will receive 10 percent of the box-office receipts, including a guaranteed $5 million in advance.
Universal Pictures, the lead studio, was attracted to the project by the popularity of "Halo," and the game's underlying plot, said Universal spokesman Paul Pflug.
Both "Halo" games have been blockbusters for Microsoft's Xbox console. The second, last year's "Halo 2," brought in more than $125 million in sales on its first day.
"Anytime you have an intellectual property with such a great fan base and a back story, you really have a great place to start for a movie," Pflug said. "It allows us to do many things in conjunction with Microsoft."
A release date hasn't been set, but there's a "strong possibility" the movie will be out sometime in 2007, Pflug said.
Universal will have ultimate creative control of the movie, Pflug said, although Microsoft is expected to work in close consultation with the studio. Representatives of Bungie Studios, the Microsoft unit that makes the "Halo" games, will serve as creative consultants on the film.
The idea is "to make sure that the spirit of the movie is in tune with the spirit of the video game," said Carlos de Leon, Microsoft Xbox spokesman.
Microsoft was able to make the deal despite some bold initial demands that made the major film studios bristle. According to reports in Variety and The New York Times, Microsoft originally sought a more lucrative deal and more say in the production of the movie, among other perks.
The company's desire to be intimately involved in the movie underscores the significance of the "Halo" franchise, said Schelley Olhava, video-game analyst research firm IDC.
"Microsoft takes a lot of care with the 'Halo' license," Olhava said. "It tells you just how important it is to them."
The company also took the unusual step of hiring a writer to draft the script before approaching the studios. It chose Alex Garland, the screenwriter known for such movies as "The Beach" and "28 Days Later."
The "Halo" movie's producer will be Peter Schlessel, former Columbia Pictures president.
The star of the "Halo" games is Master Chief, a cyborg hero who bravely takes on armies of alien invaders. It should come as no surprise that he will become Microsoft's first movie star. The company, for example, would have had a hard time selling a script based on the much-maligned Clippy virtual assistant formerly featured in its Office product.
"Master Chief has captured the imagination of young people just like rock stars or actors have in previous generations," Microsoft spokesman de Leon said. "There is no question that there's an enormous amount of interest around this movie."
But Microsoft and Universal may have their work cut out for them. The challenge with movies adapted from video games is that they often feel "like standing in an arcade and watching someone play from over their shoulder," said Brandon Gray, president and publisher of Box Office Mojo, an online movie publication and box-office reporting service.
A notable exception has been the "Tomb Raider" movies, he said, but those had the advantage of featuring an iconic character widely recognized even by people who hadn't played the games.
The "Halo" movie will be live action, not animated, but Universal declined to give many details beyond that, such as the potential star or cast.
In the "Halo" games, Master Chief is hidden behind armor covering his full body and head. It's not yet clear how the film studio will tackle the challenge of translating such a character to the big screen.
Even if the movie does spectacularly well, the direct financial return would be a drop in the bucket for Microsoft, which posted almost $40 billion in revenue last year. But the "Halo" game franchise stands to benefit significantly from the exposure that a major movie would bring.
"I think it's exclusively a move to boost the brand," said Matt Rosoff, analyst at research firm Directions on Microsoft.
Microsoft's de Leon declined to say whether the company would aim to issue a new installment in the "Halo" video-game series in conjunction with the movie's release.
_________________________________________________________________
Hail Master Chief !
