Universal and Fox can’t pull the trigger on spiraling costs, and 27-year-old first time director was under suspicion:

It’s game over for Universal’s and Fox’s participation in the feature adaptation of Microsoft’s “Halo.”

Both of the studios that agreed to co-finance the screen adaptation of the popular Microsoft game have abruptly backed out of the picture. While rumors had the studios concerned over a budget that was rising above the original projected $135 million pricetag, the filmmakers said the double defection came after U and Fox played hardball and unsuccessfully tried to get the filmmakers and Microsoft to reduce their profit participation.