Video game adaptations generally have a bad rap in Hollywood. While there have been some successes over the years, with 2018's Tomb Raider being one recent example, most other game adaptations have failed to deliver. Alone In The Dark, Doom, and last year's Monster Hunter are just a few of the video game movies that have flopped hard.
There are reasons why video game movies rarely work, of course, not least the fact that directors often fail to respect or understand the source material. Another problem is that some games aren't suited for a big-screen adventure, which is, perhaps, one reason why 1993's Super Mario Bros was such a disaster. The search for a decent video game movie goes on, but many filmmakers are now turning their attention to television. HBO is bringing The Last Of Us to the small screen, and adaptations of Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, and Splinter Cell are also on the way.
Halo is another video game that is about to get the small-screen treatment. The critically acclaimed first-person shooter series is largely responsible for the success of Microsoft's Xbox series of consoles, and fans have been desperate to see a game adaptation for years. While there have been the occasional direct-to-DVD efforts, they haven't had the budget to truly bring the adventures of the game's hero, Master Chief, to life. The new adaptation, which is coming soon to Paramount Plus, will hopefully do the video game series justice. Here's everything we know about the Halo TV series so far.
What Will The 'Halo' TV Series Be About?
Little is known about Halo's storyline at the moment but it is believed it will tie into the video game series that spawned it. As fans will know, the games focuses on Spartan soldier Master Chief John-117 as he fights for the United Nations Space Command against The Covenant, a race of alien religious zealots. The games are much more complicated than that simple synopsis, of course, weaving as they do an epic story spread across a sprawling fictional universe. This is, perhaps, one reason why a big-screen adaptation of Halo hasn't yet been attempted as there is a lot to cram into a movie runtime.
One of the luxuries of a television adaptation is the opportunity to tell a larger story, so there is hope that the series will translate the games successfully to the screen. As quoted at Deadline, CEO of Showtime Networks David Nevin has said this about the upcoming show.
"It delivers the visceral excitement of playing the game, along with a much deeper emotional experience around the Spartans, human beings who got their humanity chemically and genetically altered. The story is about reclaiming what makes them human, and therefore it’s a very powerful story."
Admittedly, this isn't a lot to go on at the moment, but fans of the video game franchise will have an understanding of how the series might play out. For the uninitiated, expect intense battles played out both in space and on land between the human race and the aliens that make up the Covenant species.
Who Will Be In The 'Halo' TV Series?
Pablo Schreiber will be taking on the iconic role of Master Chief in the series, but as was the case with Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian, we might not see his mustachioed face very often. Master Chief was rarely seen without his helmet in the gaming franchise, so it might be a case of 'heard but not seen' for Schreiber in the upcoming show.
Other actors include Californication star Natascha McElhone in the role of Dr. Catherine Halsey, the head of the Spartan program, and Penny Dreadful's Danny Sapani as UNSC Commander, Jacob Keyes. Jen Taylor, who voiced Master Chief's AI companion, Cortana, in the games, will be reprising that role for the new series. And Queen And Slim's Bokkeem Woodbine will also be in the show as former Spartan soldier Soren-066.
When Will Get To See The 'Halo' TV Series?
The series has been in development since 2013 but a number of setbacks have caused delays to the production schedule. The recent pandemic pushed the series back further, but the nine-episode first season now seems on course for an early 2022 release on Paramount Plus.
Will The 'Halo' TV Series Be Any Good?
Hopes are high for the Halo television series. The source material is good so there is scope for an epic intergalactic tale if adapted correctly. Of course, fans do have reason to worry as there have been more than a few terrible video game shows in the past. However, with Steven Spielberg as one of the executive producers, and an estimated $41 million budget, the new show might give fans exactly what they are hoping for. Expect to learn more when promo reels for the series are eventually released, hopefully towards the end of this year.
