Many a lesser game had made the leap to film, so it was no shock when, in 2005, Microsoft inked a deal with Fox and Universal to adapt Halo for the screen. The fanboys went wild, however, when Lord of the Rings' Peter Jackson signed on to executive-produce. Last fall, the film fell apart over gross participation: The studios balked at the reported 19 percent that Microsoft, Jackson, and his partner, Fran Walsh, were collectively asking for. Within Bungie Studios, where the games are developed, there is still reason to rejoice, as Jackson is helping them hatch a new videogame based on the Halo universe. ''Putting the movie on hold was really the beginning of our bigger relationship with Jackson,'' says Bungie's Joseph Staten. ''[It's] much more exciting because, whereas we weren't going to be involved in the movie production at all, the game is something we're [all] working on.''