J.J. Abrams Says ‘Half-Life’ and ‘Portal’ Movies Still In Development

[GongPanther]

Over three years ago, it was revealed that filmmaker/producer J.J. Abrams and game-master Gabe Newell of Valve Software were working to collaborate to make games and movies, which included adaptations of popular Valve games Portal and Half-Life. We haven’t heard any updates in the three years since… until now.


The Portal and Half-Life movie news initially was revealed during the DICE keynote talk in 2013. Newell said that they were “recapitulating a series of conversations going on” and that the two had “reached the point that we decided to do more than talk.” Abrams chimed in, saying, “There’s an idea we have for a game that we’d like to work with Valve on,” before Newell added that they are “super excited about that and we’re going to figure out if we can make a Portal movie or Half-Life movie together.”


It’s now three years later and we haven’t heard anything about the collaboration since. However, IGN was able to get an answer recently while talking with Abrams who was promoting 10 Cloverfield Lane. When asked for a status update on the Portal and Half-Life projects, Abrams responded with the following:

Not yet, but they’re in development. And we’ve got writers, and we’re working on both those stories. But nothing that would be an exciting update.
​

Of course, we have no idea who those screenwriters are, and know nothing more about the projects. In 2010, Newell proclaimed that any adaptation of a Valve property would be done by the studio itself. So maybe the film adaptations are being written by people internally at Valve? Either way, it sounds like the Half-Life and Portal movies are still both a ways off.


Abrams’ latest film as producer, 10 Cloverfield Lane, was directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who in many ways burst onto the scene with Portal: No Escape, a fan film based on the popular Valve video game series. I’m sure many fans are wondering if Abrams would again collaborate with Trachtenberg on a big screen Portal movie. After the success of 10 Cloverfield Lane, it seems like Dan will have his choice at a follow-up and



I’m not sure if he has more to say with regard to returning to the world of Portal for a feature-length film. And besides that, Trachtenberg is busy developing a time-travel heist film titled Crime of the Century over at Universal.


http://www.slashfilm.com/portal-movie/

 

[perverse]

2 things scare me here.

1. Video game adaptations are hard to make work.
2. How do you make a movie about a mute protagonist? They'll have to take a risk on the personality of a character that, up until this point, the players have identified as "themselves".

I really like JJ, warts and all... and my support and opinion of Valve borders on religious reverence... but yeah, I see high probability of this just not working right. Very curiously and cautiously excited.

 

[Stewbum]

Very keen to see a Half-Life movie. I still play that game online with a bunch of Yanks and am currently playing Half-Life 2.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

2 things scare me here.

1. Video game adaptations are hard to make work.
2. How do you make a movie about a mute protagonist? They'll have to take a risk on the personality of a character that, up until this point, the players have identified as "themselves".

I really like JJ, warts and all... and my support and opinion of Valve borders on religious reverence... but yeah, I see high probability of this just not working right. Very curiously and cautiously excited.

I think it'll be easy enough to give Freeman an identity that doesn't jar with the game world, we know who/what he is basically, a nerdy scientist in a hazard suit.
I think a Half-Life movie that drew on both expansion packs for source material would work well- telling the story of the alien incursion into Black Mesa from three different main viewpoints, Freeman, Adrian Shepard and Barney the security guard.

And if it works and does box office you've got the more epic City 17 Half Life 2 setting to draw on for a sequel.

 

[perverse]

I think it'll be easy enough to give Freeman an identity that doesn't jar with the game world, we know who/what he is basically, a nerdy scientist in a hazard suit.
I think a Half-Life movie that drew on both expansion packs for source material would work well- telling the story of the alien incursion into Black Mesa from three different main viewpoints, Freeman, Adrian Shepard and Barney the security guard.

And if it works and does box office you've got the more epic City 17 Half Life 2 setting to draw on for a sequel.

Maybe you're right, it just seems a bit contrived for me. Freeman in the game is practically Rambo, and extremely proficient with all (including experimental) weaponry. They'll need to strip him down to be a normal human scientist... and then I just don't know what personality fits him. Obviously the crowbar has to make a cameo, and I can already hear the cheer in the cinema when it does. I hope they can make it work. HEV suit wouldn't go astray either. Full bonus points if they can get the original creepy ass voice actress for the suit.

Agree that the events of the first game are prime for movie adaption. Not sure if Barney is required as a protagonist, but I'd expect him to be there. Shephard I would have as a classic half-movie antagonist and then turns to the good side once split from his team and running into Gordon. G-Man is the big bad, although I hope the mystery around him is maintained. That would be the biggest heartbreak for me, if they spoiled the G-Man in the movies. Having played through the series since my teen years, I really feel like those reveals belong in the games.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The HEV suit is a must for sure. I think you'd strip most of the weaponry away from Freeman's character - id envision him using his suit, his brains and of course his trusty crowbar to get him out of situations. Shephard would provide the Rambo factor and do the shooting so there would be no lack of that anyway. As you say he'd also provide a twist by having to change sides midway when the government sends in black ops to slaughter the soldiers too.
I think Barney would be a good addition as he's kinda the Everyman character and he's also the one who gets to escape with the surviving scientists at the end, and course you'd also have Eli Vance- we could even get to see how he loses his leg!

 

[Frederick]

Maybe JJ could put all of us fans out of our misery and turn the movie into Half Life 2 Episode 3...