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The search is on for financial backing for Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson's film version of the Microsoft game Halo now that Universal Studios and Fox have pulled the plug.
A Wingnut Films spokesman said last night that the search to find a new financial backer would continue but, until one was found, the movie was on hold.
"Universal and Fox asked Peter to executive-produce this project and then they wanted to change the deals and then they backed down ... That's all I can say."
He said the news came as a surprise. "We've been working on the film for a year ... We've been working on research and development.
"With a film like this, you spend a lot of time on conceptual art and a lot of drawings."
A number of people working on the project were given notice on Friday and although the spokesman would not specify how many were involved, he said they were part of the initial research and development team.
They would be re-hired once backing came through. "We are very disappointed ... but that's the nature of the film industry."
The spokesman said the search for a financial backer would continue. but "we are working on other projects".
"We're working on The Lovely Bones and Dambusters and a few other things. Work continues for us.
"It's not like Halo has gone and we are all shutting down and laying people off. There's certainly work for us to get on with.
"From a Wingnut and Weta perspective we are certainly disappointed to see the movie postponed."
This was not the first time Jackson has had financial backing pulled.
"It's happened on his movies before. It happened on King Kong in 1997 and it happened on Lord of the Rings."
