Peter Jackson names a rookie to direct 'Halo' movie

Posted Thursday, August 10, 2006 at 9:30 AM Central

by Tim Briscoe

Just when it seemed the project to bring the blockbuster Xbox video game Halo to the big screen had stalled, a director for the film has been named. Exec producer producer Peter Jackson has named Neill Blomkamp as the film's director.

If you respond to that name with a dumbfounded "Who?", you're not alone. Although this will be the directorial debut for the South Africa-born Blomkamp, he does a credible résumé.

He is a distinguished TV and commercials director. Blomkamp was nominated for his visual effects work on James Cameron's Dark Angel TV series.

"As a gaming fan, I'm excited to bring Halo's premise, action and settings to the screen with all the specificity and reality today's technology can provide," said Jackson. "Fran [Walsh, Jackson's producing partner] and I are intrigued by the unique challenges this project offers, and we're delighted to be working again with our friends at Universal, and with our new ones at Fox and Microsoft. With Neill on board, I'm even more excited by the potential of this project."

Obviously Jackson decided to go with heavy visual effects experience over feature directorial experience. The choice isn't a bad one since Halo will undoubtedly rely heavily on digital effects.

You can peak into Blomkamp's portfolio with the following short film he directed in 2005. "Alive in Joburg" is a thought-provoking sci-fi piece set in his native South Africa. It includes some very Halo-esque military versus aliens sequences.

Screenwriter D.B. Weiss recently took over the Halo script job from 28 Days Later's Alex Garland. The film is now on track for a Summer 2008 theatrical release.