With Peter Jackson’s involvement in the Halo movie, it only seems natural that his partnership would extend even further with Microsoft – which is exactly what was announced today at Microsoft’s X06 event in Barcelona, Spain.

The first project is for Halo movie producer Peter Jackson and screenwriter Fran Walsh to co-write, co-design and co-produce a completely new and original chapter in the Halo universe in collaboration with Bungie Studios (not to be confused with Halo 3). The second project is an entirely original property. In addition, Microsoft Game Studios will partner with Jackson and Walsh to establish Wingnut Interactive, a studio dedicated to the creation of world-class interactive entertainment.

“Microsoft has built an amazing living canvas with XBOX 360 and XBOX Live, which allows the storytellers of our time to express themselves in a new medium. They have fundamentally changed how people think about games,” Jackson said. “My vision, together with Microsoft Game Studios, is to push the boundaries of game development and the future of interactive entertainment. From a movie-maker’s point of view, it is clear to me that the XBOX 360 platform is the stage where storytellers can work their craft in the same way they do today with movies and books but taking it further with interactivity.”

There is no word yet on how many different extended cuts, limited editions, or collector’s sets of the new Halo title are planned.

In related news, Microsoft Game Studios announced Halo Wars, an all-new real-time strategy game built exclusively for XBOX 360 by Ensemble Studios, the creators of the Age of Empires series. Halo Wars places the player in command of human UNSC armies as they deploy for mankind’s first deadly encounter with the enemy Covenant forces. Click here for the official site where you’ll find more images, a trailer and other information.