J.J. Abrams Says Films Based on Half-Life and Portal are in the Early Stages

[Shawn Zipay]

You may have already heard, but J.J. Abrams and Valve are in talks for creating a film or two based off of Half-Life or Portal. In speaking with Polygon, Abrams said that, "it's as real as anything in Hollywood ever gets."

He says that he is actively talking with Valve and will be bringing on a writer to maybe hammer something together to see what Valve thinks.

"And both a Portal and Half-Life movie are things I want to see," Abrams said. "We're also aware of the cautionary tales of movies that became games and vice versa. Our goal here to is to treat the world Valve has created in both these properties like anyone would a book or some great story that comes from a pitch or original script — just to treat it with the respect they treat their games and their players with."

Don't forget that Valve's Gabe Newell has expressed a lack of interest in the past for creating films based off of his company's most popular franchises.

So what brought about this apparent change of heart? Well, the two kicked off DICE today by having lengthy discussions about storytelling. Newell says that the two "reached the point that we decided to do more than talk." Cue the porn music and... Oh, that's not what he meant? Well then, moving on!

Abrams also mentioned that he is interested in working with Valve on a video game idea of his own creation. He wants to do something that will explore "the limits of gaming in a perfect way."

"We're not looking to make a movie in the gaming world, we're not looking to impose what we do on that, we're looking forward to taking some of our strengths and collaborating with some of these incredible minds that make some of my favorite games," Abrams said. "Just as I think they're looking forward to taking some of their stories and the universe for some of their games and applying it to movies. I think they need to both be approached very differently."

(via Polygon)

[nemes1s3000]

Portal? Sure. Half-Life? Hmmm..

[K-16]

Technically, they have a $#!+load of examples to work with as reference material. Just watch all the successful YouTube live-action/CG fan films. Even Counter-Strike is doable with the French live-action one (though that film is somewhat buried in obscurity), and Daniel Frome's CS Militia. It's surprisingly not difficult when the foundation has already been laid out by the community. Just pay attention to it, treat these shorts as spec films and as a layout for the theme(s), and with your higher budget and increased resources compared to those indie filmmakers, you can fill in the rest of the hour and twenty minutes. (For the record, Counter-Strike is possible, but impractical. Please don't actually do it.)

Bonus points for the porn music.