Creatures, Miniatures and Visual Effects

Los Angeles, CA, October 4, 2005 - Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox announced today that triple-Academy Award® winners Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as the executive producers of HALO®, the upcoming feature film based on Microsoft's phenomenally popular video game from Bungie Studios. Jackson and Walsh will provide creative counsel on all aspects of the film via their WingNut Films banner, and Jackson's award-winning companies Weta Digital Ltd. and Weta Workshop Ltd. will provide creatures, miniatures and visual effects for the production. The HALO agreement marks the first time that Jackson and Walsh have performed these services on a major studio film that Jackson is not directing.

Mary Parent and Scott Stuber will produce HALO with Peter Schlessel. After Fox, led by President Hutch Parker and Universal, led by Production President Donna Langley, acquired the feature film rights to HALO, the studios worked in conjunction with Schlessel in reaching out to a number of producers who auditioned for Microsoft/Bungie. The film is currently targeted for a Summer 2007 worldwide release. Universal will handle domestic distribution of the film, and Fox will handle the international release.

This unique alliance among Fox, Universal, Microsoft, and Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh promises a step forward in motion picture production. HALO will benefit from the experience and resources of the film studios, from Bungie Studios' groundbreaking vision, and from Jackson and Walsh's creative sensibilities and expertise in both traditional filmmaking and the world of emerging digital technologies.

HALO will be shot in its entirety in Wellington, New Zealand and will make use of the full range of Jackson's state-of-the-art production and post-production facilities, including Weta Digital Ltd., Weta Workshop Ltd., Stone Street Studios and Park Road Post.