Many movie fans recognize the “evil twin” trope as a tired storytelling device that has likely been parodied and satirized more times than it’s been utilized earnestly. It would probably take a truly unique and bizarre execution for the idea to be taken seriously again. On an unrelated note, remember when Guillermo Del Toro was planning to make aHalomovie?
It turns out that a major plot point of Del Toro’s pitched script for the phantom film may very well have revolved around a long lost twin of Master Chief who allied withThe Flood. According to environmental artist Paul Russel, who worked on the originalHalo: Combat Evolved, theHellboyandPacific Rimdirector had at one time pitched this concept to Joseph Staten, who served as writer and cinematic director for the original game. Obviously there’s a lot of he said, he said involved here, but Russel insisted the story was true, even if the script itself never got off the ground.
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This info came during an IGN “Devs React” video showcasingHalo: Combat Evolvedand featuring Russel. According to him, Del Toro was excited about the concept, enthusiastically pitching his idea to Staten, to the point where he was “punching Joe on the arm and going, ‘And they’re brothers! And they’re going to fight at the end!'”
In a tragedy for avant-garde filmmakers everywhere, it seems this is one story from the surreal director that will never see the light of day. While Del Toro appeared very interested in the idea of aHalomovie, he ultimately removed himself from the project to makeHellboy 2: The Golden Army. This bittersweet change apparently proves that when Master Chief closes a door, Ron Perlman opens a window.
What would aHalofilm from such a unique director have looked like? His love of interesting and grotesquely beautiful creature designs (as seen in films likePan’s LabyrinthandtheHellboyduology) might have found a comfortable place dealing with the game series’ diverse cast of enemies like The Flood and thevarious Covenant species. Add to that his evil twin pitch, which hints at a possible campiness to the whole idea, and it likely would have been a fascinating watch in one way or another.
But again, the odds are unfortunately against this particular take on the project ever seeing the light of day. Still,Halofans shouldn’t lose all hope, as aShowtime series based on the franchiseand starring Pablo Schreiber appears to currently be in the works (albeit with one of those wonderful 2020 delays that everybody loves just so darn much).
