Naomi:
Naomi has learned her first video game name. It is Halo!
Give it a listen in .mp3 format: naomi_halo.mp3.
Dad:
Since I purchased John’s Xbox at the beginning of summer, we’ve played countless rounds of Halo 2 in split screen mode. The problem: I can almost never beat David (age 6), and can never beat Isaac (age 10). :: sigh ::
Peter Jackson / Isaac:
Peter Jackson, amazing director of The Lord of the Rings films, has been tapped to run (as executive producer) the Halo movie, coming out in mid-2007.
; "This photo shows how Isaac reacted to the news that Peter Jackson would be in charge of the upcoming _Halo_ movie.")
The photo on the left shows how Isaac reacted to the news that Peter Jackson would be involved with the upcoming Halo movie. If anyone can pull off a successful video-game-to-movie production, it’s Peter Jackson. (Arguably the only game-to-movie film to date that even bears watching is Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.)
Microsoft, film studios tap Jackson for ‘Halo’
By Lisa Baertlein
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Oscar-winning creative team behind the “The Lord of the Rings” films, including director Peter Jackson, has been named to run the production of the upcoming film based on Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) blockbuster “Halo” video game, the company said on Tuesday.
Jackson and his wife, Fran Walsh, will serve as the executive producers for “Halo,” which is targeted for worldwide release in mid-2007 by Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox film studios.
Universal will oversee the film’s production and domestic distribution. Fox will handle international distribution.
“Halo” will be shot in Wellington, New Zealand, and will use Jackson’s production and post-production facilities there.
“I’m a huge fan of the game and look forward to helping it come alive on the cinema screen,” Jackson said in a statement.
The executive producers will collaborate with Universal, Fox and Microsoft’s Bungie Studios, which created the game.
“Halo,” the best-selling franchise for Microsoft’s Xbox game console, follows the adventures of the futuristic super-soldier “Master Chief” as he battles an alien onslaught.
Screenwriter and novelist Alex Garland wrote the original feature film adaptation of Halo. A director will be named in coming weeks, but the cast has yet to be announced.
And there’s another article at 1Up: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3144311.
What does this mean for The Hobbit?
It’s reported to be 3 or 4 years away, although this means the film rights debate with Christopher Tolkien has been settled.
See http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Guardian/0,4029,1439974,00.html.
I just wanted to add my 2 cents about Naomi’s “addiction” to Halo 2.
I spent some time at the Wilcoxes this weekend playing games, eating great food, and just having a great time. I spent the night Friday and slept on the couch in their living room. Saturday morning rolled around, and of course the little ones were up with the first beam of sunlight shining into the room. David and Naomi were playing around in the living room (where I was now awake and watching them, but making them think I was still asleep). I then see Naomi go over to the X-Box and plug in the two wireless controllers I had brought (for four player “carnage”) and she brings one over to me and whispers into my ears…”Halo”