Half-Life Movie

[Mattigus]

I've been reading posts about what fans feel a good Half-Life movie would be, and it seems that most people want the main character being someone else, and have Gordon show up only occasionally in the background. I think that idea wouldn't work at all, and if it did, it wouldn't be the story of Half-Life.

Half-Life was a story about Gordon Freeman, a scientist who created a portal to a different world and nearly destroyed Earth. Putting the focus on a different character would destroy the story. Everyone's reason for saying otherwise (I'm guessing) is that in Half-Life, YOU are meant to be Gordon. Allowing a player in a video game to become the playable character is easy, but it is impossible for a movie viewer to become a character in the movie. The level of interaction that's in a video game doesn't exist in a movie. A movie based on Half-Life wouldn't be able to allow a viewer to become Gordon (and don't even say the entire movie should be in first person. NO ONE would watch that. If I wanted that, I'd give my friend the Half-Life CD and watch him play it.)

My opinion of a Half-Life movie is this: Don't try to let the viewer become Gordon, let the viewer take the journey with Gordon. The director should cast an actor as Gordon, write dialogue for Gordon (yes, Gordon should talk. If we aren't BEING Gordon, there's no reason to make him mute), and make the movie BASED on Gordon's story. Doing anything else would butcher the credibility of the game. Of course, making the movie in the first place could butcher the game.

Regardless, if a good director, and good actors, and a good production company got together and made a movie about Half-Life, and it was based around Gordon's story, NOT some other person with Gordon as a shadowy background figure, I would definately watch it.

 

[Bicka]

Well would you watch the one that was made with Shreik from saved by the bell in it?

 

[Goombatommy]

I think either Martin Sheen or Edward Norton would best play the role of Gordon. Both of them could look identical to Gordon if they wanted too.

 

[Max35]

I could care less about a movie at this point, I just want HL2 to be a good game. Then hopefully Valve will start working on HL3. On the other hand, an HL movie from the perspective of the g-man would be cool. You get to experience the conspiracies first-hand, watch Gordon open up a can of whoop-ass on whatever is in his way this time.

 

[<RJMC>]

the cast must be this:
gordon: ben stiller
barney: jack black
eli vance: eddy murphy
shepard: ?
Gman: JIM CARREY

 

[Tyrsenus]

Well, this is the worst casting I could think of:

Gordon: Bruce Willis
Eli Vance: Mr. T
Adrian Shepard: Jerry Seinfeld
Gman: Bob Saget

 

[Naft]

what do you have against mr T????
fool.

RJMC has a good idea though....a serious hl movie would probably lick balls, but a parody has great potential(no expectations, mainly). but i would go for lower profile stars in a parody movie(1. a parody with 4-5 bigname stars wouldnt make enough money to pay the stars, and 2. non-famous people seem to do better at parodies).

i personally would rather never see a hl movie than see one and have it blow. the only hl movie that should ever be considered to be made is one run on a lower budget(not revolutions style--while that is cool, its not halflife(hl2 maybe, but not hl)) by a hardcore director who sacrifices nothing of what he sees as being the movie at its best(ie: no sellouts). plus a scratch-made hl movie would be true to form.

 

[Chainer]

I think if the script was UBER GREAT the movie would be a hit. Only on one condition; the camera is from Gordons view ONLY. We would never see him or hear him just like the game. And if we indeed HAVE to see him I think it should be an actor we have never heard of before. I couldn't take the movie serious if it was Johnny Depp or Charlie Sheen as Gordon.

I also agree with Naft, it should be ultra low budget. Take all the money you would have spent of HUGE star actors and put that money towards really good CG.

 

[Ownzed]

what do you have against mr T????
fool.

what if i do? :flame: :hmph:

 

[Scotchy]

Have any of you fine fellas seen Underworld? Bill Nighy would be a shoe in for the role of the Gman (He played Viktor BTW).

 

[wayne white]

wtf?...MARTIN SHEEN?!!!....he should be played by that clooney guy.

 

[Naft]

what if i do?

then you suck. muahhahah.

 

[tCh]

the cast must be this:
gordon: ben stiller
barney: jack black
eli vance: eddy murphy
shepard: ?
Gman: JIM CARREY

gordon: jack black
barney: ben stiller
eli vance: charles murphy (from chappelles's show)
shepard: :afro:
Gman: JAMES BROWN

 

[Element Alpha]

I think making the movie in 1st person would be the coolest thing ever. You would see gordon's arms, you would even have a simplistic hud from you HIV suit(why not?). Later in the movie they could even bring in another guy wearing one, just to show off how cool HIV suits are. And gordon would kick ass, all the time.

The movie has to be very dark, and also "cool", not in a puberal "I'm 16 way", but rather really emphasized on the "no compromising - I'll kick your ass" kinda way. Also, the puzzles should be less obvious, not talked about, but still be there. And it should have that feeling about flipping switches(="hey let's try this switch, since I'm already here").
I don't think it should be about black mesa only. But the movie should absolutly start with the trainride. If it doesn't, it's not HL. It should be focused on Gordons loneliness and simplistic logic to come to conclusions. And at the end, everything should have gone terribly terribly wrong.

 

[figge]

G-Man: Tommy Lee Jones http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000169/
Gordon: Edward Norton http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001570/
Eli Vance: Morgan Freeman http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000151/
Dr.Kleiner: Robin Williams http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/
Alyx Vance: Halle Berry http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000932/
Barney: Charlie Sheen http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000221/
Shepard: Liev Schreiber http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000630/

 

[Brian Damage]

Hmmm... Now I think of it, the movie could follow the G-Man mostly, as he's the most recurring character in all three HL games. He might act as something to tie all three (Or four/five if you count Decay) stories into one cohesive whole.

Or it could mostly follow Gordon, with alliance from Barney Calhoun/the Barnies and a late arrival by Shepherd...

 

[Tyrsenus]

I think if the script was UBER GREAT the movie would be a hit. Only on one condition; the camera is from Gordons view ONLY

If you want that, why dont you just play the game again?

 

[Zer01ne]

I think if the script was UBER GREAT the movie would be a hit. Only on one condition; the camera is from Gordons view ONLY. We would never see him or hear him just like the game. And if we indeed HAVE to see him I think it should be an actor we have never heard of before. I couldn't take the movie serious if it was Johnny Depp or Charlie Sheen as Gordon.

Have you people seen "The Arrival"? In that movie, Charlie Sheen looks EXACTLY like Gordon Freeman. Charlie Sheen would be great. The "Gordon's view" idea is stupid though. However, The Arrival is a lot like Half-Life, check it out if you haven't seen it yet.
Anyhow, I wouldn't really want to have a Half-Life movie, especially with the two stories in the two games. They could easily make it a crappy movie. Have you people seen Tomb Raider? No Comment... :frown:
Anyway, there IS a Deus Ex movie in the making (in pre-production, made by Columbia Pictures), that could be a great movie, I'm looking forward 2 that
once it is ready...

 

[Mattigus]

I definately don't want a game to be in the viewpoint of Gordon (like I said, I'd rather just play the game.) But I do like the idea of a no-name actor playing Gordon. Sure, Charlie Sheen/Johnney Depp/Edward Norton look alot like Gordon, but having a big star as Gordon would take away from Gordon's character. If I saw some actor who I've never seen before and he looked just like Gordon, I would say "Look! That's Gordon Freeman!" If I saw Johnney Depp with a mustache and beard playing as Gordon, I'd probably say "Look! It's that guy from Pirates of the Carribean, only he's got a mustache and beard now!"

 

[Mr. Redundant]

G-Man: Tommy Lee Jones http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000169/
Gordon: Edward Norton http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001570/
Eli Vance: Morgan Freeman http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000151/
Dr.Kleiner: Robin Williams http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/
Alyx Vance: Halle Berry http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000932/
Barney: Charlie Sheen http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000221/
Shepard: Liev Schreiber http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000630/

great list, the only one I would change is G-man, should be Christopher Walken.

and Halle Berry for Alyx seems a lil.. I dunno. I never liked Halle Berry or her acting ability (or lack thereof).
then again I cant really think of anyone decent to play her part.

 

[Mattigus]

The lady who does the voice of Alyx looks sorta like her.

 

[perrkele]

These casting-threads are always a bit silly but anyway... if there's ever going to be a Half-Life movie, G-man MUST be played by Christopher Walken. Not only is he a great actor, but also resembles G-man a LOT.

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0264...pg?path=pgallery&path_key=Walken, Christopher

I can't understand how anyone can say that G-man should be played by someone else than Walken!

 

[t_fleetham]

I think that a half life movie should be in the style of the blair witch project, from an other pearsons point of view, you could see freeman at times, it should be dark and it should be like amature video footage from other ppl with video camaras in the facility, it could show extra layers of the story from black mesa to create even more depth.
i just dont think a big buget movie would be right for this movie.

 

[poseyjmac]

walken would have to lose some weight if he were to look as wormy and evil as gman.

 

[galoot3000]

the movie might be cooler in CG....., acting would be cool also, would gordon talk in the movie?????

 

[NeLi]

Gordon doesn't talk.

 

[Grimresfa]

Wow that really would be a good cast figge, except yea i agree the Christopher Walken would be the best G-Man

 

[EVIL]

Half-Life movie? I hope not!

 

[KingPing_NOR]

In the Eurogamer interview with Gabe and valvs PR chef(whats his name again?) they said that if it should be a movie it had to be good.
Not something like Gordon saving Alyx and then fall in love, or the G-man doing the "I'm your father" bit.

They also said that ALOT of movie making companies have beggd them for the licence. But none of there idees were good enough so valve sait no. And that they are not thinking of a movie for now.

 

[Mattigus]

Gordon doesn't talk.

Gordon doesn't talk in the game because, in the game, you are Gordon Freeman. You can't possibly be a character in a movie, because you have no control over the character's actions.

If a Half-Life movie would be made, Gordon would HAVE to talk. Making a movie without letting the main character talk would be impossible in any conventional movie-making sense.

A lot of people don't want Gordon to talk, or even be seen, because it's not how it was in the game. There are things you can do in a game that you can't do in a movie, and vice versa.

 

[NeLi]

If they make a movie, they would have to give Gordon a personality and a voice. Thus, he wouldn't be "you" anymore, just another figure.

 

[Andy]

Just to be serious for a minute, I think a movie of this type really might work. A camera from a 1st person perspective would be a unique and challanging way of shooting a film.

Perhaps the emphasis shouldn't be on the camera playing a character though. An interesting way of doing it would be to shoot it as a silent, documentary team, to which all the characters talk to. This would get past the lame "you are Gorden again" theme while still maintaining the feel of the game. This team could then be there to witness a sub plot that runs parrallel to the main plot as it unfolds. All the characters would be there plus Gordon (briefly, and who wouldn't talk), and it would let fans see the universe in reality.

All we need now is a plot.

Oh and how about Willem Dafoe as G-man? http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz..._400.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Dafoe, Willem

 

[Sprafa]

I am secretly working on HL movie script.

I'll post it for the community when I have but, be aware that it might take HL2 so I can tie up some loose ends in the story.

And of course, it could be crap!

 

[Andy]

I am secretly working on HL movie script.

I'll post it for the community when I have but, be aware that it might take HL2 so I can tie up some loose ends in the story.

And of course, it could be crap!

Can we hear some of what you have?

Oh we'll need an administrator too: John Malcovich http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz...00.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Malkovich, John

 

[Synthaxx R-or]

I just had an idea.

Now keep in mind that this isn't really my idea, the idea itself came from Supershadow.com. They are currently working on the scripts for the sequel trillogy of Star Wars (e.g. SW 7, 8 and 9). Only instead of a group of writers they are using the entire fanbase to create the story and come up with interesting plot points. The site itself claims they have the go ahead from Lucas, but i'm not ready to beleive them about that just yet. However the idea is good.

Maybe, if Half-Life will be made into a movie, they could follow the same example. Let the community create the story and decide certain points (in the form of polls for example). That way we can make the movie great in the same way that the community has made Half-Life the game great (mods were the deciding factor in making HL great, and Valve has recognized this in HL2).

On the other hand i could just be dreaming

 

[Vegeta897]

I am secretly working on HL movie script.

I'll post it for the community when I have but, be aware that it might take HL2 so I can tie up some loose ends in the story.

And of course, it could be crap!

What are you making it on?

I remember someone saying they were making a movie with the HL2 engine, can't wait to see that.

 

[Andy]

I just had an idea.

Now keep in mind that this isn't really my idea, the idea itself came from Supershadow.com. They are currently working on the scripts for the sequel trillogy of Star Wars (e.g. SW 7, 8 and 9). Only instead of a group of writers they are using the entire fanbase to create the story and come up with interesting plot points. The site itself claims they have the go ahead from Lucas, but i'm not ready to beleive them about that just yet. However the idea is good.

Maybe, if Half-Life will be made into a movie, they could follow the same example. Let the community create the story and decide certain points (in the form of polls for example). That way we can make the movie great in the same way that the community has made Half-Life the game great (mods were the deciding factor in making HL great, and Valve has recognized this in HL2).

On the other hand i could just be dreaming

thats actually not a bad idea, and at the end of the day, if Valve doesn't want to give us any kind of "go ahead" we can always get together to do the whole thing as a mod.

who wants to get the ball rolling?

 

[galoot3000]

i'll help, pm me to get something started, im allready converting HL into DnD, heh, its fun..........

 

[Darkknighttt]

Half-Life 2 Movie would be awesome!

 

[volume]

I think it's highly unlikely they'll even consider it until they release HL3, although it's possible. That movie, I think, would get them a lot of money. Probably cost a lot of money as well.