'Halo' live-action TV series greenlit for 10 episodes on Showtime
The success of Microsoft Studios' 'Halo' has seen the popular FPS spawn multiple best-selling novels, graphic novels, as well as a host of other licensed products. A TV series for the game has long been mooted. Former developer 343 Industries announcing as far back as 2013 that a live-action television series was in the works with Steven Spielberg set to serve as executive producer.
Though those plans did not exactly come to fruition, Showtime has now announced that it has given a 10-episode series order the go ahead. It will revolve around an 'epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant' and present a 'richly imagined' vision of the future mixed with 'deeply drawn personal stories.'
As reported by Variety, president-CEO of Showtime Networks David Nevins called the project the network's 'most ambitious series ever' and said he expects the audiences who have anticipated it for years to be 'thoroughly awarded.'
"In the history of television, there simply has never been enough great science fiction. Kyle Killen’s scripts are thrilling, expansive and provocative, Rupert Wyatt is a wonderful, world-building director, and their vision of ‘Halo’ will enthrall fans of the game while also drawing the uninitiated into a world of complex characters that populate this unique universe," he said.
Following an unsuccessful attempt at producing a feature between 2005 and 2007, live-action film and miniseries 'Halo 4: Foward Unto Dawn' was released in 2012 as a webseries. 'Halo: Nightfall' was the next production for the popular Xbox FPS. Ridley Scott and his production company Scott Free Productions worked on the project with David W Zucker and Sergio Mimica-Gezzan serving as the directors. The series is available to watch through Halo Channel, an application for the Xbox One, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone and is also available to stream, download, and buy on physical disc.
Kyle Killen, who previously served as creator and showrunner of critically acclaimed series such as Fox's 'Lone Star,' NBC's 'Awake,' and ABC's 'Mind Games,' will serve as showrunner for this upcoming 'Halo' series. Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) will be directing several of the episodes and also be the executive producer for Amblin Television, Showtime, and Microsoft/343 Industries.
Scott Pennington and Amblin TV's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank will also serve as executive producers, with CBS Studios International handling its international distribution. The show is expected to go into production early next year, and while a premiere date has not been revealed, the speculation is that it will begin airing in the summer or fall of 2019.