If all had gone to plan, we'd already have seen the first Halo movie on the big screen. Peter Jackson would have produced it, Neill Blomkamp would have directed it, and no doubt we'd be talking about a sequel right about now.

As it happened, as the budget on the project soared, the plug was pulled, and Jackson and Blomkamp went and applied their efforts to District 9 instead. Few could really have argued with the end result of all of that.

However, as Microsoft prepares to roll out Halo: Reach on Xbox 360, talk has surfaced once more about bringing the franchise to the big - and as it turns out, the small - screen as well.

Talking to Variety, Frank O'Connor, the Franchise Development Director (isn't that a soul-destroying job title?) responsible for Halo, had the following to say:

"We're still interested in making an excellent 'Halo' movie. We've created an awful lot of documentation and materials to support a feature film. We have a good idea of what kind of story we want to tell, but won't move on it until there's a great reason to do it. We're in no particular hurry."

We'd imagine that part of the reason that he's in no hurry is that Halo will be a mightily expensive movie, and given the critical and commercial response to videogame films thus far, it's fair to say that the film marks a mighty risk (although Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time did bring in over $300m at the worldwide box office in the summer just gone). We'd also suspect that the response to the forthcoming Halo: Reach may have something to do with the decision.

Our guess? It's a long time before you'll see a Halo movie. The TV show might just be a better bet.

Variety