How would you do a Half-Life film?

[Andy8299]

So i read somewhere that Quentin Tarantino is a Half Life fan and would love to make a film based on the series and that got me thinking:

How would you set it up? What sort of actors would you have in it or easter eggs? Would you make some sort of reference to the expansion packs or actually include them as a part of the main storyline? And would you change the design of anything?

I would probably have Freeman set up like Ross Scott's freeman at the begining but he would become the reluctant hero towards the end.

The only thing that bugged me about HL2 was that no one seemed to question where Gordon was all this time and the fact that he didn't age at all (except from a passing comment from Eli i think) So i would change that.

[Kirkreng]

Well, the problem with making a film out of half life is that GF is a silent protagonist. And if you'd want to make a film out of HL you would need to change that. But I like GF being silent, it makes him all mysterious(= more awesome) as well as it allows you to fill in the character yourself.

[Axeldeath]

The film doesn't need to be based on Freeman, it would be better to base it on part of the lore to further expand the HL universe

[Eedo Baba]

How would you do a Half-Life film?

 

I wouldn't. Film is an inferior form of media, and would be a dumbing down of the Half Life experience.

[Husker]

Being able to produce a good film with a silent protagonist would be a real testament to a director's ability. I'd say, depending on the director and script, keeping Freeman mute could really work

[ProHypster]

A Gordon Freeman Film with just music could be done.

It gives the film a chance.

 

I agree with Husker basically, just don't give the script to that crap director from Finland.

[mehdawg654]

Not feature Gordon Freeman. Do something else with the universe. Maybe make a documentary about Xen wildlife.

[ProHypster]

Not feature Gordon Freeman. Do something else with the universe. Maybe make a documentary about Xen wildlife.

 

 

Otto: The headcrabs drink the waters of Xen peacefully. It's natural predator, The Bullsquid ignores the headcrab as it is well fed already. And now to Bob, the weather forecast on Xen.

 

Bob Bobason: IT WILL BE RAINING SCIENTISTS! Back to you Otto.

 

Otto: It seems a scream from the Nihilath awoke the firetruck....

[Alyxx Thorne]

I would definitely not use Gordon or any characters from the game, but rather base it on the setting and idea of the game and use those ingredients to craft a unique story.

[Deadline99]

I'd pull an escape from city-17 kind of thing.

[Darthvoorhees]

Show the uprising from the rebel point of view. But have Freeman around, you see him in several action scenes, kicking ass and helping the resistance move forward. It works to show how badass Gordon is, but also keep him out of other scenes so he isn't really personalized. The only personalization being the "messianic" one the rebels give him whenever mentioning him.

 

Maybe center between two characters, or several? Or have one that's conveniently not where freeman is at certain times. For example, the Nexus: He's downstairs trying to keep the combine from Freeman, Freeman is upstairs shutting down the nexus. Cut away to another rebel, and the Nexus bombarding his group. Staving off the approaching Combine.

=================

Idea 2 for HL2:

Prequel: The Seven hour war.

 

End it how it says in backstory. Then jump it several years, and then show Gordon (Show his face), getting off the train, setting up events for HL2.

 

==============

Half life 1: Same kind of thing. Although expansions null other characters. Unless Valve is willing to make exception and add one more (Like Magnusson) for later game.

 

Not sure how to properly do the first game.

[Lord Sinister]

I found this fan-made trailer to be pretty cool, I'd watch a film like this:

 

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[Alyxx Thorne]

Show the uprising from the rebel point of view. But have Freeman around, you see him in several action scenes, kicking ass and helping the resistance move forward. It works to show how badass Gordon is, but also keep him out of other scenes so he isn't really personalized. The only personalization being the "messianic" one the rebels give him whenever mentioning him.

 

Maybe center between two characters, or several? Or have one that's conveniently not where freeman is at certain times. For example, the Nexus: He's downstairs trying to keep the combine from Freeman, Freeman is upstairs shutting down the nexus. Cut away to another rebel, and the Nexus bombarding his group. Staving off the approaching Combine.

=================

Idea 2 for HL2:

Prequel: The Seven hour war.

 

End it how it says in backstory. Then jump it several years, and then show Gordon (Show his face), getting off the train, setting up events for HL2.

 

==============

Half life 1: Same kind of thing. Although expansions null other characters. Unless Valve is willing to make exception and add one more (Like Magnusson) for later game.

 

Not sure how to properly do the first game.

I agree. Keep Gordon a background character in the movie. We already know the story from his perspective so showing it again is pretty much a waste.

 

Regarding the first game, I think the best thing to do would be to make something influenced by the resonance cascade incident and make something that builds up to it so that we never really see Gordon until the end. I'm sort of picturing a 50's scifi horror movie with scientists discussing the science behind the experiment and we could maybe give some more exposition to Barney.

[Doctor Felix Whooves]

I would make it take plase befor the events of half life 1. It would be about Black masa and APicher sciens ( how ever you spell that) and there fight between each other there rise there goals and just give a lot more back story to the hole game universe.

[DuIstalri]

If there were a Half-Life film, Anthony Head should play the G-Man. Just look at Series 2 Doctor Who episode "School Reunion" to see what I mean.

[The Scoutman]

Morgan Freeman as Eli Vance, nuff said

[alphabetagamma]

This could work too

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[101Phase]

The problem with portraying the 7 hour war is that the audience might be left without much closure. We know that it ends with humanity's surrender, the Combine's dominion over Earth and Breen's ascension to power, but the film would need to be much more than just a prequel to HL2.

[Lord Sinister]

The problem with portraying the 7 hour war is that the audience might be left without much closure. We know that it ends with humanity's surrender, the Combine's dominion over Earth and Breen's ascension to power, but the film would need to be much more than just a prequel to HL2.

 

A prequel to a Half-Life themed film following the resistance and the uprising following the destruction of City 17 perhaps?

[Lord Sinister]

I saw this on Kotaku and found it pretty awesome (it kind of felt like an extended intro to a tv series, which was no bad thing I hasten to add!):

 

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