Halo Director Announced

Are you busy in the summer of 2008? Because someone, somewhere, is getting in line right now to buy a ticket to the motion picture adaptation of Halo®. This exciting project, which will be produced by geek gods and Academy Award® winners Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh under their WingNut Films banner for Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox, has finally announced a director.

The Halo motion picture will be helmed by Neill Blomkamp, making his feature film debut. Blomkamp is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and original artists currently working in short films and commercial advertising. Halo will be distributed domestically by Universal and internationally by Fox. Visual effects, miniatures, and creature design and creation will all be handled by Jackson's award-winning Weta Digital Ltd. and Weta Workshop, Ltd., most recently known for their Oscar-worthy work on The Lord of the Rings films.

A native of South Africa, Blomkamp directed the acclaimed 2005 short film, Alive in Joburg, that depicted a future in which extraterrestrials have become refugees. Last year, Blomkamp also received three Clio Awards and a Visual Effects Society Award for his television commercial Citroen-Alive with Technology. In 2004, Blomkamp was recognized as "One of the Top Five Directors to Watch" at the First Boards Awards and was a featured artist at the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase at Cannes. He has also been nominated for an Emmy award for his work on an episode of James Cameron's Dark Angel.

Mary Parent, Scott Stuber and Peter Schlessel will produce Halo. The film is currently targeted for a Summer 2008 worldwide release. Halo will be shot in Wellington, New Zealand, and will make use of the full range of Jackson's state-of-the-art production and post-production facilities there, including Weta, Stone Street Studios, and Park Road Post.

"As a gaming fan, I'm excited to bring Halo's premise, action and settings to the screen with all the specificity and reality today's technology can provide," said Jackson. "Fran and I are intrigued by the unique challenges this project offers, and we're delighted to be working again with our friends at Universal, and with our new ones at Fox and Microsoft. With Neill on board, I'm even more excited by the potential of this project."

Why am I cringing now now?

Rob, there's one thing I'm very happy about....


Uwe Boll wasn't 'tabbed' as the director....we at least have to be thankful of that!!


I've got to put my trust in Peter Jackson though, All 3 LoTR films are amazing and King Kong wasn't too shabby either (a bit long and drawn out, but good none-the-less).

Quote: Originally Posted by NCXCStud Rob, there's one thing I'm very happy about.... Uwe Boll wasn't 'tabbed' as the director....we at least have to be thankful of that!! I've got to put my trust in Peter Jackson though, All 3 LoTR films are amazing and King Kong wasn't too shabby either (a bit long and drawn out, but good none-the-less).

Unfortunately Jackson is only a producer, but hopefully he will swing his weight around and place his mark of quality on the films.