***Update***
I’ve gotten some emails from some professionals in the flick business that share a common trait: They tell me not to fear for the talent and quality of one Neill Blomkamp. He’s a solid dude they say. I looked at his short film and commercial work and it was very nice, but I still don’t know how excited I can be. The one thing that makes HALO special to me isn’t the story, it’s derivative and threadbare. It’s the vibe. It’s the potential. It’s what you gain from gameplay. That said, perhaps I jumped the gun a little. Want to read some really interesting and diverse discussion on the matter? Click here.
***/Update***
The sound you hear is my excitement for the HALO movie going from almost barely excited to damn near indifferent. When my favorite Mexican ever chose not to make the movie I still clung to the fact that Peter Jackson was producing. When names like Frank Darabont passed by without sticking and coupled with the fact that the HALO 3 video from E3 was just a useless cinematic, the interest dropped to Joe Somebody levels.
I mean, I love Mr. Jackson like the sunrise but of all people I know how much a producer means in the grand scheme of things when it comes to guiding a project. If he were directing, it’d be the sauce of legend. Since he’s not it’s all about who he gets to call the shots.
Apparently, that decision has been made and it ain’t Earth or Covenant shattering. From Team Xbox:
"Gamasutra has just revealed who will be the director for the upcoming
film adaptation of Halo. The publication has obtained a press release
in advance, revealing that the movie will be helmed by Neill Blomkamp,
a short film and commercial director making his feature film debut with
Halo."
Wow. The enthusiasm is palpable. I’m sure the guy is talented but it takes experience and some sort of a genre track record to steer a ship this large. Especially with Microsoft’s fingerprints all up its private areas. I’m not saying you need James Cameron or Ridley Scott, but you need a foundation to really send the thing on its merry way. Here’s hoping Peter Jackson is on set every day running the show sans shoes in his new miniature format. It’s the only way I can see kickstarting the excitement genes again.