Former Halo director's first feature trailer unspools

In 2006, Microsoft stunned the world by announcing that a virtual unknown would be directing the big-budget film adaptation of the Halo franchise. That unknown was Neil Blomkamp, a young South African filmmaker who had won awards for his series of futuristic commercials and shorts. Those included...

In 2006, Microsoft stunned the world by announcing that a virtual unknown would be directing the big-budget film adaptation of the Halo franchise. That unknown was Neil Blomkamp, a young South African filmmaker who had won awards for his series of futuristic commercials and shorts. Those included minithriller Yellow, the Robocop-esque Tetra Vaal, the Office-like satire Tempbot, and Alive in Joburg, an ambitious sci-fi drama about alien refugees occupying part of Johannesburg.

Despite the backing of Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, Blomkamp was inexperienced enough to make studio executives reconsider the Halo film project, which remains in turnaround after being put on indefinite hold in 2006. Luckily, those intrigued by Blomkamp's Halo live-action shorts about Orbital Drop Shock Troops will soon get a chance to see his first feature film, District 9. The first trailer for the sci-fi drama, which is based on Alive in Joburg, hit the Web this week and is viewable in HD via Apple's Web site. Due out in US theaters on August 14, it is executive-produced by Jackson and (ironically) distributed by Sony Pictures.

124 Comments

  • bastian97

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 6:20 pm PT

    @colton yes it is supposed to be the start of the halo movie series but called district 9 i think.

  • coltonisking15

    Posted Jun 20, 2009 6:50 pm PT

    wait so is this a halo movie

  • Awhawk23

    Posted Jun 16, 2009 5:02 pm PT

    If anyone ever saw one of the old budweiser trailers with an alien there was one that looked kinda like that hoping 4 a halo movie

  • beymod

    Posted Jun 6, 2009 5:54 am PT

    thanks....
    http://www.beymod.com.tr

  • mr0806

    Posted May 28, 2009 4:46 pm PT

    it looks pretty cool...

  • GamerJedi29

    Posted May 27, 2009 12:58 pm PT

    yeah they need to stick to the story if they make a halo movie

  • TexasTurtle05

    Posted May 23, 2009 10:15 pm PT

    If they make a Halo movie it needs to stick to the story and details like the games, dont change anything!!!

  • CalibusTheCrab

    Posted May 19, 2009 8:00 am PT

    hoping* Then I'll take you seriously.

  • xspartinofwarx

    Posted May 17, 2009 9:29 am PT

    we are a elite squad of halo 3 players hopping to dominate a console near you xSPARTINofWARx (CAPTAIN) I mr snip3downI (SHARPSHOOTER) pandassasin72 (OVERALL-BADASS) TOS Nightmare17 (DEMO-LICIOUS) up-front we get up close and personal.
    http://up-front.co.nr/
    http://gamebattles.com/xbox360/halo3/team/upfrontmlg/

  • samanael

    Posted May 16, 2009 7:08 pm PT

    really goooooood.......

  • Fady117

    Posted May 7, 2009 5:03 am PT

    Whether Jackson or not, this movie better be big-budget and promising a real blast for spectators. Not to mention that they shouldn't involve too many boring or unnecessary characters....

  • Stryker521

    Posted May 6, 2009 3:10 pm PT

    That D-9 movie looks interesting...some very (obviously) human themes being played around with...with none other than the more than enough cliched African setting. It's a foreign film, and like some good works that the French and Germans make, don't dismiss this just because it's not an American big budget blockbuster.

  • mossongreens

    Posted May 6, 2009 5:59 am PT

    this is supposed to be like a documentary or like a news journalism piece...let's get that out of the way people. this could be groundbreaking. if your not going to give it a chance because the alien looks dumb in your opinion...that's lame lame lame...it doesn't have blockbuster written on it...it's a sci-fi movie...but it does have cult classic written all over it...

    ...go watch wolverine if you want cheesy lame ill-choreographed fight scenes with par acting and horrible plot development and special fx.

  • Alex_09

    Posted May 5, 2009 10:34 pm PT

    I really wouldn't care about a Halo movie. All of those characters bore me....

  • senorbusyman

    Posted May 5, 2009 9:18 am PT

    the HALO movie better be something that will "BLOW US AWAY"!

  • Shantmaster_K

    Posted May 4, 2009 9:33 pm PT

    i seen that video before. i think it looks awesome. i hope a halo movie is made. that would be sweet

  • Smoov_B

    Posted May 4, 2009 5:02 pm PT

    Wow, lot of hate in here. I think it looks pretty cool. I'm tired of all aliens looking the same so I like that this one is at least unique to some degree. I'm still surprised that Blomkamp wasn't able to generate enough interest with the Drop Shock short he did. That was looked great.

  • dussan2

    Posted May 4, 2009 12:31 pm PT

    Halo fanboys annoy me to no end. Reason number 1 why they Halo project failed? The director apparently didn't want to do a movie about Master Chief. He wanted to base it off of a squad and Master Chief would pop up every now and then. Reason for that is because Halo canon does not tell us what a Spartan looks like under the helmet, and what nationality Master Chief is. And it's next to impossible to feel anything for someone in a suit witha blast shield.

  • Barighm

    Posted May 4, 2009 12:23 pm PT

    Halo film will never be made unless Microsoft creates their own studio and funds the movie themselves. Nobody else wants to do the movie because Microsoft wants to make sure it's done right, with a good budget, and Hollywood doesn't want a "good" video-game movie. Why would you ever want your biggest competitor to rake in cash on your home turf? Ain't gonna happen. Can there be any other reason for why Uwe Boll is still allowed to make terrible movies when respected actors and directors fall off the face of the earth after creating a couple stinkers?

  • KontraDiction

    Posted May 4, 2009 11:09 am PT

    I didnt think it looked that bad. The only thing that was garbage was the way the alien looked.

    Lets be for real here. Everyone wants some big name director to jump on the "Halo" bandwagon! I rather have a unknown come along and blow my mind then a well known screw up come along and distory what Halo is all because of his "Vision"!

  • PvtRyan3

    Posted May 4, 2009 10:54 am PT

    Is this for real?

    Talk about the worst film ever made...

    Then to top it off someone threw in music from Blood Diamond. James Newton Howard's masterpiece.... What an insult!!!

    Peter Jackson has gone from the acclaimed Lord of the Rings director to the worst director in history. The next film on his list should be the sequel to Far Cry.

  • necronaux

    Posted May 4, 2009 9:45 am PT

    Commercial director, directing Halo movie... could be worse, they could have got Uwe Boll.

  • nobeaner

    Posted May 4, 2009 8:31 am PT

    I liked the first one better. Alien Nation.

  • OF-5

    Posted May 3, 2009 10:28 pm PT

    At first I was thinking "Wow, pretty cool trailer" but then I saw the giant bug alien and I gotta say it sort of ruined it for me. Regardless of the cheesy alien I thought it looked pretty cool and it definitely has potential.

  • Sendmn23

    Posted May 3, 2009 8:18 pm PT

    lame! lame! lame! lame! Really I'm glad this Neil Blomkamp has nothing to do with the Halo movie. I think they would have ruined it. That being said, I never like it when theres roaches in the house, much less when they are the size of humans, and live in thier own district. I'll be waiting for this on dvd. not my cup of tea.

  • x-wing20

    Posted May 3, 2009 8:05 pm PT

    looks like intresting movie i saw the trailer yesterday. Everyone in hollywood doesnt want to touch in fear that they'll ruin it.

  • maddenfreak41

    Posted May 3, 2009 6:37 pm PT

    the best part was when it was all like "they are not................human *music cuts*" and i was all like "whoa"

  • Braddah_B

    Posted May 3, 2009 5:54 pm PT

    How has no other studio or director jumped on this? To me it seems like a gold mine. They already have the fan base and just the halo name alone will make a hundred mill

  • firesky26

    Posted May 3, 2009 5:14 pm PT

    are they still planning on making a halo movie within the next 10 years?

  • tsiper

    Posted May 3, 2009 1:29 pm PT

    sweet

  • Alex0022

    Posted May 3, 2009 12:56 pm PT

    I'm glad they are making him prove himself before making Halo. That is one video game movie they absolutely can't screw up. There would be many angry Halo fans if it turned out bad.

  • parhar67

    Posted May 3, 2009 12:41 pm PT

    This could either be very very cool. Or very very cheesy.

  • wolfliquid

    Posted May 3, 2009 12:30 pm PT

    yeah hell next starwars jajajajajaj

  • Calverz

    Posted May 3, 2009 10:48 am PT

    If done right, the Halo movie could be the next star wars.

  • skud777

    Posted May 3, 2009 10:18 am PT

    This is getting ridiculous. Just make the damn video. The Halo series is one of the best selling games of any gaming console ever . It doesn't matter if its the worst movie in history people are going to go see it and with the special effects that they have today its bound to have some cool parts. MAKE THE MOVIE!!!

  • makeuser

    Posted May 3, 2009 8:38 am PT

    a south african & a kiwi get together? lookout australia

  • -HCMF-

    Posted May 3, 2009 7:47 am PT

    so, ummm no budget - check story that seams like a waste of time - check. oh whell...

  • Squeets

    Posted May 3, 2009 7:06 am PT

    Apart from that fact that none of his films... long or short... make any sense... what a waste...

  • Aletunda

    Posted May 3, 2009 6:02 am PT

    what the hell is going on with all these supposedly game films? just make them, take the damn risk, its almost a garentee that so many people bought the games they are obviosly are going to see the films, halo 3 still has a player hit list of a few hundred thousand people playing per day lasting for over a year and in compeetition with gears of war 2, cod 4 and cod 5, gta etc.

  • packiwack

    Posted May 3, 2009 5:18 am PT

    trailer looked a bit.....crap to be honest. Why can't they just make a film of like harvest or reach? or even just halo1, 2 and 3?

  • Mpn_Daedalus

    Posted May 3, 2009 3:52 am PT

    @ flamingfirewolf
    That film's all over youtube, just search for 'Halo: Arms Race'

    Can't comment on District 9 atm, since I can't seem to download it...Apple FTW
    But from what I've heard it sounds like it has potential.

  • nishant27

    Posted May 3, 2009 12:41 am PT

    halo movie,seems interesting

  • chappy_man

    Posted May 2, 2009 11:11 pm PT

    dang, a halo movie if done right would be good.

  • shakensparco

    Posted May 2, 2009 10:22 pm PT

    I wonder if we will ever see a Halo movie. The longer they wait, the less likely Halo will be as popular. Well it might be popular like old Sonic games, but not to the same extent it is now.

  • TurambarGS

    Posted May 2, 2009 9:47 pm PT

    Intriguing trailer - doesn't show much but interesting concept - I'd see it.

  • flamingfirewolf

    Posted May 2, 2009 8:13 pm PT

    could some one tell me where is the link to watch the halo trailer, because it is to confuing. thanks if any can link it to me

  • gameking5000

    Posted May 2, 2009 8:09 pm PT

    Wonder why they shouldn't choose Peter Jackson

  • colinize002

    Posted May 2, 2009 7:36 pm PT

    Personally, I think the alien-talk bit messed up the trailer.

  • vicsrealms

    Posted May 2, 2009 6:57 pm PT

    It does kind of remind me of both V and Alien Nation, but why does that ship keep bring Independence Day to mind. Oh well, District 9 looks interesting enough to possibly get my $5 dollar matinee movie money once it comes out. Which is actually saying something, since the only movie I have actually had any interest in seeing since January was the new Wolverine movie. Except for Star Trek coming out next Friday. ~grin~

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