Following last week's news that Fox and Universal Studios decided to back out of the HALO movie after requesting a better deal from Microsoft, the folks at Microsoft have officially reaffirmed their goal of bringing Master Chief to life on the silver screen.

"We are disappointed that Universal and Fox wanted to significantly renegotiate the financial points of the deal," the company said in a statement. "But the 'Halo' franchise is hugely popular and our goal remains the same -- to find a partner that shares our passion and will creatively collaborate with us to best represent the story and spirit of the 'Halo' franchise.

 "Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and the rest of the creative team are dedicated to ensuring the HALO movie becomes a reality. We are already in discussions with potential partners who recognize the value of the 'Halo' brand and its appeal to consumers worldwide."