Finally, Master Chief is headed to a movie theater near you. Well, maybe?  Rumors of a "Halo" movie have been flying around Hollywood for quite some time, and now it looks as if the movie might actually happen.  According to several internet sources, Steven Spielberg has attached his name to the film, though this cannot, of course, be confirmed. 

Peter Jackson had originally shown interest in making Halo: the movie a reality.  His first choice for director was Guillermo del Toro.  He dropped out, choosing instead to make “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”.  Jackson’s next choice was "Tempbot" director Neill Blomkamp.   A few initial costumes and props were produced, but in the end, neither one of them wanted to continue on with this project, and choose instead to make one of this summer’s most original films, "District 9". 

Fanboys across the internet have been buzzing about the idea of Halo on the big screen for years.  The film isn’t even in the early stages of production, but already there have been more rumors about this movie than any other in recent memory.  Who will direct?  Is the film going to be based on Halo: Combat Evolved, or will the events of the movie predate the first video game?  Is John-117, better known as Master Chief, going to be the main character?  All of this conjecture is giving me a headache, and all I wanted was one piece of semi-solid evidence.  I instead, found two.

First, the film’s anticipated release date will be sometime in 2012.  Secondly, "G.I. Joe" author Stuart Beattie is writing the script.  This last piece of information has me a little bit worried.  I wasn’t really a fan of G.I. Joe, and a big part of that had to do with the film’s script.  It was random, cheesy, and just plain awful.  I have played every installment of the Halo franchise, and the last thing I want to see is Master Chief sharing any uninspired dialogue with his AI companion Cortana.

In the end, yes I do care that the film is made well, with a competent director, stellar script, and an amazing cast.  But how much more speculation can all of us handle? I am sick and tired of misinformation and unfounded rumors.  2012 is three years away, but that doesn’t seem like enough time for all the pieces of this puzzle to fit together correctly.  In the mean time, I will just have to look forward to the arrival of Halo: ODST, which is almost definitely being released on September 22nd.    More information on the film’s production will surface, and who knows?  Maybe some of it will actually be confirmed.  Stay tuned for further updates.