Midnight Drop is a new short film that reimagines the midnight launch of Halo 2 in November 2004 as a hostage thriller. Directed by Ricky Staffieri, it follows gamers awaiting the eagerly anticipated game before armed criminals rob the shop and the night turns into a fight for survival; it draws on a memorable moment in gaming culture and the communal experience of physical releases.

The film has no confirmed wider release date, but will screen free at Los Angeles’s Sound and Fury festival on 17 August, with RSVPs available. Halo 2 originally launched on 9 November 2004, when the franchise was at the height of its influence; the article notes that later Halo releases have not retained the same cultural standing since Bungie left the series in 2010.