A new script for a much-maligned Halo movie has been written by Collateral scribe Stuart Beattie. The project was set to go a couple of years back with a draft from 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland, with producing duties falling to Peter Jackson and the helming gig going to ad-director Neil Blomkamp. But the studios baulked at Microsoft’s insistence on a large cut of the profits, for what would be a huge budgeted film; thus the flick disappeared and everyone moved on. Beattie penned his draft on spec, meaning he essentially wrote it off his own back and wasn’t commissioned by any studio, or Microsoft to pen it. He’s apparently just a fan of the game and thought he could bring something to the table. A source told Latino Review "the script takes us through the horrific first contact with the Covenant hordes on the doomed colony world of Harvest, and then climaxes with the spectacular fall of the UNSC forward base on Reach, during which every other Spartan is slaughtered."  Beattie is one of the most prolific screenwriters in Hollywood, having also penned 30 Days of Night and the incoming G.I Joe and Australia flicks.