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That Halo TV show is (finally) happening

That Halo TV show is (finally) happening

The TV network Showtime has confirmed it has has ordered 10 episodes of a Halo adaptation.

Network president and CEO David Nevins announced the news through an Xbox blog post. The exact frame for the story is currently unknown, with the release plainly stating that the season will take place during “an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant.” Showtime appears to view the project as an opportunity to create its own prestige sci-fi series.

“Halo is our most ambitious series ever, and we expect audiences who have been anticipating it for years to be thoroughly rewarded,” said Nevins.

“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.”

343 Halo transmedia head Kiki Wolfkill added: “This is a truly exciting moment for the Halo franchise. Together with our creative and production partners at Showtime and Amblin Television, the Halo television series will represent new and exciting way for fans to enter and engage with the Halo universe. We can’t wait to share more on what’s ahead.”

Halo has been eyed up by TV and film executives for years, and this season confirmation marks the end of a notoriously tortured road for the adaptation. A film adaptation with Peter Jackson and District 9’s Neill Blomkamp held promise in the mid-00s, but eventually fell apart for a multitude of reasons.

Showtime’s Halo series will be produced in collaboration with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. Kyle Killen will serve as showrunner, with Rupert Wyatt of Rise of the Planet of the Apes fame directing multiple episodes.


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Staff Writer

Natalie Clayton is an Edinburgh-based freelance writer and game developer. Besides PCGamesInsider and Pocketgamer.biz, she's written across the games media landscape and was named in the 2018 GamesIndustry.biz 100 Rising Star list.