Variety is reporting that Fox and Universal have pulled out as financial backers of the live-action Halo movie. Spiralling costs and worries over the inexperienced director Neill Blomkamp are cited, but there are also suggestions that the two studios 'played hardball' with the filmmakers and Microsoft in an unsuccessful attempt to get them to reduce their profit participation.
Before fans of videogame movie adaptations fall to their knees screaming 'Nooooooooo!' at an essentially unjust and uncaring universe, Microsoft is apparently confident of securing alternative backing for the endeavour. And with fantasy movie behemoth Peter Jackson onboard that confidence is probably well-founded.
