Cogs turning on Gears of War, Halo films

  • By Polybren, GameSpot
  • Posted Apr 1, 2008 3:36 pm PT

Just over a year ago, Epic Games confirmed that New Line Cinema would be bringing its hit Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War to the big screen, with responsibility for the screenplay entrusted to Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Collateral). The crushing weight of Gears fans'...

Just over a year ago, Epic Games confirmed that New Line Cinema would be bringing its hit Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War to the big screen, with responsibility for the screenplay entrusted to Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Collateral). The crushing weight of Gears fans' expectations for the big-screen adaptation of their favored fragfest apparently wasn't heavy enough, as film site LatinoReview reports that in Beattie's spare time, the scribe has been working on the script for a flick based on another Xbox 360 shooter. (The site does not identify its source on that news, nor its source's relationship to Beattie or the project.)

Beattie has reportedly been writing a screenplay for the on-again, off-again Halo film in hopes that it will spark some movement on the moribund project. Though Beattie has had no problem finding work (he is also reportedly writing the Spy Hunter film adaptation and penned the screenplay for the G.I. Joe movie), the writer is apparently a big fan of the sci-fi shooter series and wrote the script without actually having a contract to do so.

According to LatinoReview, Beattie's Halo script is based on the Halo: The Fall of Reach novel, and follows the Master Chief from his conscription into Spartan training at a young age up through his first encounters with the Covenant. Beattie has also reportedly plotted out a second and third film that would bring the story up through the events of Halo 3.

As for the Xbox 360-exclusive sci-fi shooter adaptation that Beattie is already confirmed to be writing, ComingSoon.net is reporting that fans looking for Gears of War to hit the local megaplex will likely have to wait a good long while. The site quotes producer Wyck Godfrey as saying that the filmmakers are about to sign a director to helm the project, and are hoping to get the movie in theaters for summer of 2010. When the project was originally announced, the target date was summer of 2009.

168 Comments

  • NoseWeed619

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 8:54 pm PT

    Finally. I just hope they sign a badass director, like Peter Jackson or somebody of his caliber...

  • eeechurface

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 10:03 pm PT

    I say they make it CG. Beowulf was cool that way. Use the same voices in game

  • CorporalKane

    Posted Jun 9, 2008 1:31 pm PT

    @clevelandrox23
    Yeah... Vin Deisel... and directed by Uwe Boll.
    jk
    Seriously though, Vin does not have the voice for MC an, in my opinion is not good enough an actor to be put in the armour, especially if they dubbed Downes over as MC, they would not b justified in the spend of such a big actor when they could have a generic tall guy an pay him less.

  • Niffirg6

    Posted May 23, 2008 4:49 pm PT

    i hate gamespot. thay always penitalize me for sanning bad words. :[

  • Dule89

    Posted Apr 23, 2008 11:35 am PT

    Yeah!!!

  • merp300

    Posted Apr 21, 2008 1:18 pm PT

    umm, anyone, look at the date itwas posted. 1st of April mean anything to you lot? could be an april fool

  • Unitronus

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 6:14 pm PT

    Hope they don't screw up both films. That would be a freakin disaster.

  • deadlynatas

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 6:08 am PT

    halo would be better to watch with more story and depth but fighting is fighting eh?

  • Pillstheninja

    Posted Apr 11, 2008 6:01 pm PT

    shhhhweeett!

  • harrygordon1000

    Posted Apr 10, 2008 2:11 am PT

    I think the reason Advent Children succeeded was even though you could appreciate it without prior knowledge of the series but it was made for all the fans of FF7 who never wanted to leave, it was faithful to the game and even seemed like a natural extension. In contrast, most films based on games are rarely true to the original - they just steal the idea (or not - the Doom movie anyone???) and create what can only be appraised as mass-marketed drivel.

    I don't think either of these films will end well .

    PS - was I the only one that found the first person action sequence in Doom insulting?

    PPS - Can anyone cite any instances of game-to-movie going well?

  • andalore

    Posted Apr 8, 2008 1:09 pm PT

    Fall Of reach? Who Cares About That!? The Movies called Halo, I Want The Movie To Actually Be about Masterchief ON Halo, Not on Some Kid getting Kidnapped who just happens To Turn out To Be Masterchief, and werent There More Spartans in That Book? That Just messes everything Up, The Whole Thing about Masterchief is he's The LAST of the spartans, and The LAST hope Of Human Survival, and He Doesnt Need some posers Taking away his Fire

    If This Does Happen The last Shot Will Be Of Halo and then The credits, Its obvious, We Dont NEED to know about His Life, Thats The Whole Point In The Lack Of Chiefspeak so the Player Can make up what back story they want, And I Think adding a Face and Race Tio A Character That was designed To Be Racially Ambiguous Is a Bad move

  • GSKILLERCOOKIES

    Posted Apr 7, 2008 7:22 pm PT

    I would LOVE a GEARS MOVIE! But who would play the parts? Hmmm. Gamertag: KILLEROFCOOKIES

  • sparten-1177

    Posted Apr 7, 2008 3:38 pm PT

    sounds cool

  • djburnzy1

    Posted Apr 7, 2008 6:32 am PT

    sweet. i dont want to get too qorked up about it though. halo movie should be sweet as.

  • heartbreakkid84

    Posted Apr 6, 2008 6:18 pm PT

    yo!!! Anyone here a WWE fan?? Idk...but I think Batista would be good for Marcus Phoenix if it's not an animation film

  • PaulDixon77

    Posted Apr 6, 2008 5:31 pm PT

    We've had mario, street fighter, mortal combat and resident evil for the most part they have been absolute dross. But I was intreged that even wtih Peter Jackson Fran Walsh and Blomkamp Halo has been assigned to a land far far away. The film shorts that where done were great. Blomkamp, have people not seen tetra val, alive and yellow done by this guy they are very real and gritty, how could Halo not succeed. Come on film studios take a leap of faith they said "LOTR" couldn't be made and look what happened with that. So please make Halo.

  • nick_manthe

    Posted Apr 4, 2008 2:05 pm PT

    i wonder who marcus phenix and master chief will be (please don't be timothy olyphant)

  • nobdow

    Posted Apr 4, 2008 5:53 am PT

    Ok, I could live with a Halo movie. Halo would make a better movie than Gears.

  • VictimGame

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 6:12 pm PT

    Well I'm not enthusuastic about GoW, but the Halo original books were fun so I hope the movie's good.

  • imacritic814

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 2:35 pm PT

    I just hope they dont push anything back anymore than they are supposed to. Anyway, a Halo film and GOW film will rock!!

  • grouse4641

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 10:43 am PT

    Lets see what they can do with the series... I hope they dont kill them.

  • jdr589

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 10:38 am PT

    w/e everyone knows halo isnt coming out just because bungie microsoft sucks

  • ztron370

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 8:25 am PT

    Who gives a crap about the movie,just release GOW 2.

  • InsaneAZN22

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 8:11 am PT

    If they make these films, they'd better put in 1000% effort. Movies based of f of games have a tedncy to suck. Remeber Doom the movie? Sure hope these up comming films dont turn out like it >.

  • nitsud_19

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 7:56 am PT

    Sweet if they are making the Halo movie, I was hoping it would be based on the first novel, The Fall of Reach. If you like Halo I strongly recommend this book, it explains everything up to the intro to halo when they see the ring for the first time.

  • Underground9

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 6:57 am PT

    hmmmmmmmmm

  • GTARulez

    Posted Apr 3, 2008 4:22 am PT

    I agree that video games never made good movies but that is unlike the Microsoft Studies.

  • Operator01

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 11:31 pm PT

    This burns my ass!

  • lfg18

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 10:59 pm PT

    Good, it's better that they delay the movies, in fact they probably should never appear, video games have never made good movies, furthermore these games don't really have good stories, i mean they are great games and i personally love GOW but they would hardly make a good movie

  • Tubbis

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 9:11 pm PT

    @ bigdaddy9202
    Gears didn't really have any story. Halo 1 had a really great story, but the sequels.....though I kind of liked the ending of Halo 3 because it left Bungie room to go back to the universe (not actually halo) but all of the organizations and characters from that universe.

  • -HaloHitman-

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 7:12 pm PT

    That stinks that the movie is gonna be pushed back a year.

  • most369

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 7:02 pm PT

    I hope the film will come true , 4 Halo & Gears of War . I will pay 2 see

  • geofshaka

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 6:14 pm PT

    wow too bad halo and gears had horrible stories hence horrible movies
    lets see mass effect the movie

  • kromeronese12

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 5:23 pm PT

    i didnt know who uwe boll was so looked on google and got a list of his films = bloodrayne, alone in the dark and house of dead and with out watchin 1 i knew they were rubbish

  • prioritymail

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 5:19 pm PT

    Hopefully all these movie delays will equal better movies...

  • DoDDGe

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 5:02 pm PT

    Who is Uwe Boll wot films has he done ?

  • bigdaddy9202

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 4:18 pm PT

    the bottom line is that gears has a better movie making story then halo.

  • clevelandrox23

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 3:49 pm PT

    Mater Chief should be played by Vin Diesel.

    As for gears I have no idea.

  • NeoNavarro

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 3:41 pm PT

    I'm stuck. a part of me would love to see a movie of Gears and Halo but then the other side of me cringes to the idea of ruining such good games with crappy movies.

  • roxythethegreat

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 3:24 pm PT

    who is uwe boll and why does everybody hate him so much? lol

  • aznhayato7

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 2:40 pm PT

    I dont understand why this guy is only doing Xbox 360 games only. Gears of War IMO isnt that big of a game and I really get upset to see that it has gotten more attention than the first Halo game did. In fact, a movie based on Resistance: Fall of Man would be more "Hollywood Friendly" because it will be intense and packed with action and gore. I think a RFOM movie would be similar to "Independence Day" and "The Day after Tomorrow" because the Earth is put into huge danger and there seems to be no hope. The only problem is RFOM had a unsatisfying ending or cliffhanger.

  • davidtabor5

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 2:29 pm PT

    I swear I he screws up the halo movie I will personally kick his ass

  • dmish82

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 1:02 pm PT

    GOW had so little story that they'd be starting from almost scratch for a movie.

    Anywho, both of these sound like terrible ideas imo.

  • Kiazen

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 11:50 am PT

    Advent Children sucked, 21st century video game movies have all been stupid. Only the 90's and 80's VG movies were good because the games were simply corny and stupid.

  • NorthernRT

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 11:30 am PT

    Right, I see that they want to get people from other great movies to make these films.
    But everyone here seems to know that it will end up as a big fail for them.

    I think it would be interesting to see the original Gears (Epic) team direct, produce, write, and play the main part (not acting of course, unless they wanted to) in the movie.

    As with a Halo film, the only way I see it working is if Bungie takes the reigns on the film.

    Be it animated or live, even though today's animation is getting insanely realistic.

  • BigDaveyDogz

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 11:29 am PT

    I'd like to see the Gears movie made as CGI so we can have the original voice actors to play the part. It just won't feel the same without them.

  • Pickleking23

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 11:03 am PT

    thats crap, but o well dont rly matter probaly both gonna be stupid like any other video game movie

  • cajunstrike

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 10:11 am PT

    Agreed. Video games don't often translate well to the big screen...

  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 10:09 am PT

    don't wanna see it anymore. won't live up to expectations.

  • redskinStu

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 9:32 am PT

    "The crushing weight of Gears fans' expectations for the big-screen adaptation "

    Yeah, GOW is defintiely a long-time name int he game industry, right up there with Resident Evil, Civilization etc.

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