Was set to direct a highly-anticipated movie adaptation of the popular video game
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) after a screenplay by
Alex Garland.
Peter Jackson would supervise as producer. There were initial difficulties because Microsoft, the owner of the game franchise, had a long list of demands, including 10 million dollar for the screenplay, 15% of the box office earnings, a budget of at least 75 million dollar and a lot of creative control. Most studies turned the project down, until Fox and Universal agreed to co-produce it. Ten million dollar were already spent on development, and Blomkamp even moved to New Zealand to oversee pre-production at WETA studios, when Universal tried to force budget cuts. Since neither Jackson or Microsoft were willing to agree on this, the project was shelved. Jackson then asked Blomkamp if he had any other ideas, and Blomkamp suggested an expanded remake of his short film
Alive in Joburg (2005), which ultimately became his much praised feature film debut
District 9 (2009).