9. He Won't Be Afraid To Change Things
A friend of mine still hasn't forgiven J.J. Abrams for making Spock and Uhura pon farr-buddies. His changes to Star Trek have produced no shortage of nerd rage. But you know what? Those changes work. It's not the Star Trek you grew up with - but wasn't that the point? He stayed true to the spirit of Trek, and that's what matters. A Half-Life movie isn't going to work without a lot of adaption and invention. There's a lot of story to condense. Gordon Freeman will have to become an actual character, with dialog and motivation and everything. And Gordon isn't going to roam the corridors of Black Mesa and shoot monsters alone. And will there even be a Black Mesa? Let's face it: your perfect Half-Life movie isn't going to happen. That being said, Abrams has shown a clear understanding of what he can and cannot change within a franchise. There's no way to make a literal adaptation of Half-Life, but it is possible to stay faithful to the material without awkwardly inserting a bit about Gordon using a crowbar.