Word on the internets (news that was published yesterday and is promised not to be an April Fools' joke) is that a new writer has taken on the Halo movie screenplay in hopes of cutting production costs and getting the project back on track.

According to the Latino Review, screenwriter Stuart Beattie (who penned the script for the upcoming G.I. Joe movie) took it upon himself to write a screenplay for the Halo movie, without Microsoft's knowledge and in his spare time because he's a huge fan of the franchise. The screenplay is said to be called Halo: The Fall of Reach and is based on Eric Nylund's novel of the same name. And unlike the official movie script that Microsoft had written with Master Chief playing a supporting role, Beattie's focuses on Master Chief's life and past. A script that only introduces the Covenant midway through, which would help cut down on the use of CGI and production costs thus making it more attractive to studios. If this turns out to be the real deal, hopefully Microsoft will at least take a look at the screenplay, maybe shop it around and make this darn Halo movie thing a reality. A more Master Chief focused movie that stays true to the novels and games is more up our alley anyway.

[Thanks, Dobbs]