Microsoft has commissioned Alex Garland (28 Days Later, um, The Beach, but we don't talk about that) to write a script for Halo--a v1.0, if you will--which will be offered to producers along with with the game's film rights as a "turnkey" package.
This is a brilliant, precedent-setting move for a multitude of reasons:
As any software veteran knows, v1.0 is always the best.
Producers love nothing more than buying a script that's ready to shoot--and for only $1mm!
The script could be customized, possibly through the use of a set-up wizard or an animated paperclip [note to self: that guy doesn't have much backstory either; are his rights available?]
If some rewrites are needed, Microsoft is really good at being corrected and taking advice.
I don't know what they think they know about "buying rights" and "doing deals" up in Seattle, but I'm pretty sure when Hollywood's through with'em, those pencil-protectin' geeks'll be lucky if they still own the IP to the shirts on their backs.
Seriously, can you name just one movie based on a video game that sucked? Just one? I didn't think so.
But seriously, folks, I hope they call it Red vs Blue.
Halo, Hollywood [variety.com, via TMN]
Ridley Scott to direct Halo movie? [11/04, ign.com: "because Halo's like Alien, and Halo 2's so much like Aliens"--directed by James Cameron, yo.]
more games-to-film news at filmforce [ign.com]
