A live-action version of classic video game franchise Halo has been in development since 2005, but the end is almost in sight as Paramount+ gears up to debut the project as a ten-episode TV series eyed as one of the upstart streaming service’s marquee properties.
Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp were initially tasked to oversee Halo as a movie; after it shifted to the small screen, however, its troubles were far from over. Rise of the Planet of the Apes‘ Rupert Wyatt was set to direct and executive produce, and Kyle Killen was named as show runner. Wyatt then dropped out, as did Killen, with Steven Kane added as co-show runner; but he’s already set to depart the show once Season 1 premieres.
Amidst the creative turmoil, Halo shifted from Showtime to Paramount+. In a new interview, the latter Network’s President of Entertainment, Jana Winograde, explained why they are handing over a title in the works for seven years.
“Look, we love Halo, and we have great affection for it, and Paramount+ is a good fit, because we continue on as the studio, so we’re going to be intimately involved with the creative and production of it.
But the truth is…it was always a bit of an outlier for us, in terms of its fit in the Showtime universe. We did an amazing job of imbuing into the series, the character drama that we’re so well known for. At the end of the day, it is a broad, big-tent show. So, when Paramount+ came into being, it really was a natural fit there.”
Halo doesn’t have a locked-in debut yet, but it won’t be far away. Pablo Schrieber will lead the ensemble as Master Chief, with support from Natasha McElhone as Doctor Catherine Halsey and Jen Taylor reprising her longtime voice role as Cortana.
Let’s hope this is worth the wait in the end…
