Adapted from the iconic Xbox video game franchise, Halo is the anticipated live-action, science fiction saga coming to Paramount+. The upcoming series starring Pablo Schreiber is the latest original from the streamer to explore the trials of space exploration after various installments of the Star Trek franchise. This time, however, the fate of humanity is at stake as Halo depicts the ongoing conflict with an alien race.
The Franchise
First launched in 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved kickstarted the popular franchise with its first-person shooter game as it followed Master Chief, an enhanced Spartan supersoldier, and his artificial intelligence (A.I.) companion, Cortana, as they rescued various survivors on the surface of a large artificial ringworld (Halo) and mounted a counter offensive against a technologically advanced group of alien races called the Covenant.
After the acclaim received by the first game, the second installment, Halo 2, was an instant success, laying the groundwork for future sequels to come. In total, there are 12 follow-ups, with some a direct sequel to the first game and following that timeline while others are set before or after the original trilogy.
According to many in the industry, the franchise reinvented how people think about video games, which has grown into a global phenomenon, having sold more than 82 million copies worldwide and grossing more than $6 billion in lifetime total sales revenue. In addition to the series adaptation, Halo has spawned comic books, novels and various web series.
The Series
Developed and written by Kyle Killen and Steven Kane and directed by Otto Bathurst, Jonathan Liebesman, M. J. Bassett, Roel Reiné and Jet Wilkinson, Halo will make its debut on Paramount+ sometime in 2022.
The series is set to follow the 26th century conflict between humans and the Covenant and will take place in the universe first established in the 2001 game. Amid the saga of the interstellar war, Halo “will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future.”
The cast will be led by Schreiber as the Master Chief, Spartan-117. The American Gods star will be joined by Natascha McElhone (Californication) as Dr. Halsey, the brilliant, conflicted and inscrutable creator of the Spartan super soldiers; and Halo voice actor Jen Taylor as Cortana, the most advanced A.I. in human history, and potentially the key to the survival of the human race.
Additional stars as characters from the games include Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo) as Soren-066; Shabana Azmi (Fire) as Admiral Margaret Parangosky, Director of Office of Naval Intelligence; Natasha Culzac (The Witcher) as Riz-028; Yerin Ha (Reef Break) as Kwan Ha Boo; Bentley Kalu (Avengers: Age of Ultron) as Vannak-134; Kate Kennedy (Catastrophe) as Kai-125; and Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders) as Makee.
Meanwhile, Olive Gray (Half Moon Investigations) will portray Miranda Keyes, a UNSC officer and daughter of Jacob Keyes, a seasoned UNSC commander and confidant of Master Chief's, played by Danny Sapani (Penny Dreadful).
Also joining the cast as original characters are Ryan McParland (6Degrees), Burn Gorman (The Expanse) and Fiona O’Shaughnessy (Nina Forever).
Trailers
During Xbox’s 20th anniversary celebration in November, Paramount+ revealed the first teaser for Halo. That was followed by a first-look trailer released in December, during the eighth annual Game Awards livestream.
“From all the early glimpses we’ve seen, it’s crystal clear that Halo is a visually stunning thrill-ride, anchored in riveting, character-driven storytelling,” said David Nevins, Chief Creative Officer, CBS & Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Showtime Networks Inc, in a statement.
And on Sunday, Jan. 30, during halftime of the AFC championship game on CBS, Paramount+ will debut the official trailer for the anticipated series.
Here's everything you need to know about Paramount+, how much it costs, what to watch on Paramount+ and more.
ET and Paramount+ are both subsidiaries of ViacomCBS.
RELATED CONTENT
