Bestselling vidgame franchise "Halo" has taken its first major step toward the bigscreen, but without the studio system that has ruined so many of its brethren.

Microsoft has quietly put the finishing touches on a million-dollar deal to hire Alex Garland, writer of Danny Boyle's post-apocalyptic thriller "28 Days Later" to adapt the games into one movie.

The "Halo" franchise is one of the most popular in vidgame history, having sold over 12.8 million units and grossed approximately $600 million since its 2001 debut.

Source: Variety [1]