The Halo TV show is one of those long running gaming projects that many thought would never become a reality. Announced years ago, the show has pretty much disappeared off most gamer’s radar, with the occasional reminder causing people to ask, “wait, is that still a thing?” The answer is a definite yes as Microsoft and Showtime have announced a partnership to bring a 10 episode series to television.
“In its adaptation for SHOWTIME, Halo (working title) will take place in the universe that first came to be in 2001, dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant,” reads the announcement from Microsoft. “Kyle Killen (Awake) will serve as executive producer, writer and showrunner. Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) will direct multiple episodes and also executive produce the hour-long series which enters production in early 2019.”
Halo has had an exceptionally rocky road on its path to the small screen. Many years ago, long after the first game’s release but during the series’ peak popularity, there was a movie planned with Neill Blomkamp at the helm. This eventually fell through with Blomkamp taking the assets made for that project and using many of them to craft the excellent scifi action movie District 9. A few smaller projects, such as Forward Unto Dawn, but these were very limited series.
TV has been the main goal of the franchise for awhile, but the project seemed to rise and fall with Microsoft always promising that it was still being worked on. Now it’s actually happening, though we don’t have full story details yet. Will the series focus on Master Chief? Will it take place during the war with the Covenant? Will the series lead into the recently announced Halo Infinite? We should find out next year.
