Movies based on video games have typically not fared well. Even before Uwe Boll started his video game franchise serial killings, games like Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter, and Wing Commander have been particularly painful releases. Halo fans, though, have some reason to hope. First, the aforementioned Boll is not going to be allowed anywhere near the Halo production, as a director has been chosen. Second, the movie is not being produced as a tax write-off involving complex German tax laws. Third, Peter Jackson has generally been very respectful of the source material of the movies created under his watch. Finally, at least according to an interview conducted by Ain’t It Cool News, director Neill Blomkamp is a fan of the game and is very committed to bringing the Halo universe to life.

There is certainly room in the Halo universe to both be faithful to and expand the backstory, but it is a bit too early to guess at what approach the movie is going to take. Blomkamp does drop some hints as to what he is thinking in the interview, and certainly there is room for hope that the upcoming movie can break the chain of bad video game releases.