Promotional material for a Chinese film called 天马行空 (Unstoppable) has begun making the rounds on social media. Not because it looks like a good film, but because it's one of the boldest examples of copyright infringement you'll have ever seen. We've got some side-by-side comparisons with Halo and Unstoppable beneath, it's unbelievable.
When someone asks you to think of an iconic video game character, the Master Chief is probably one of the first figures that comes to mind.
Is his image so widespread that it's now entered the public domain though? Of course not, no such legal exemption exists. But do the producers of 天马行空 (Unstoppable) give a damn? No, they don't. And to be honest, it's such a bold play that it forces you to laugh more than anything. That said, I love the Halo franchise so I hope they've at least portrayed Master Ch-wait, sorry, I mean 这部电影的主角, with a little respect.
How Badly Has The Film Copied Halo?
Marketing material for the film Unstoppable shows the main character who looks near-identical to Halo's Master Chief. Check out this side-by-side of concept art and tell me this isn't ludicrous:
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How Have Xbox Responded?
According to the Twitter user who first brought this news to our attention, Xbox have responded in good faith:
The official Xbox Weibo (It's like twitter in China) account responded and said: "Halo is not unstoppable (a reference to the name of the movie). Halo Infinite will continue the story of Master Chief this fall."The movie using Master Chief in the poster has gone somewhat viral. pic.twitter.com/dYdIUehmum
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) June 23, 2021
I think that's just the right response. It wasn't harmful and really only serves to continue marketing Halo - especially important with the anticipated release of Halo Infinite later this year. Although it's good that this was at least noticed, you can imagine it actively damaging a smaller brand.
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