Halo film aims high

News - Big budget a big ask for studios

Microsoft's first foray into movie licensing appears to be progressing apace, despite the firm's rumoured list of demands relating to a flick based on their hit Halo series of videogames. It is believed Microsoft hope to get a film in production as soon as possible in order to release the picture in tandem with Halo 3 in spring next year - an ambitious feet indeed with no studio confirmed yet. This on top of some demands which have already dissuaded most of the major studios from participating. A one-million dollar Alex Garland (novelist of The Beach and The Tesseract) script has been sent to major Hollywood players, and Redmond are demanding almost total creative control, despite not offering a penny towards the cost of the project.

On top of this, Microsoft require a minimum budget of $75 million before acting and directing costs, as well as an upfront payment of $10 million and a 15% share of any eventual profits. Indeed, it is believed that these diva-like requests have already put off DreamWorks, New Line Cinema, Disney, Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers with only Universal and Fox still interested. It is rumoured that Microsoft have dropped their initial fee to $5 million, and their profit share to 10% however.

Microsoft clearly hope the new movie will fit seamlessly into the Halo timeline and universe, and this is perhaps the reason for their draconian creative demands, which will see a Halo Bible offered to producers by Bungie for the strict following. Microsoft also want Garland's script to remain unchanged. If a deal can be thrashed out, it is expected Universal will cover production and distribution in North America, with Fox handling overseas launches and gaining a foothold in production too. More on this soon.