Halo is one of the most important entertainment franchises to ever hit the media landscape. The video game series has captured the imagination of millions of people of all ages around the world since it first launched with Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001. Now, the long-awaited live-action adaptation of the franchise has finally come to realization in the first full trailer for Halo the Series, bringing the game to life in a brand new way.
This has been in the works for years, with an array of filmmakers attached to bring the video game to life- everyone from Peter Jackson to Ridley Scott to Neill Blomkamp to Steven Spielberg. After many long years, production had finally begun on the nine-episode first season in late 2019 before it was forced to shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February of this year, it was announced that the show would move from Showtime to Paramount+.
The series is being produced by Showtime with 343 Industries. Steven Spielberg acts as an executive producer through his company Amblin Television, and has Pablo Schreiber (The Wire, Orange is the New Black, American Gods) star as Master Chief alongside Jen Taylor as the AI Cortana, reprising her role from the games, and Natascha McElhone as Dr. Catherine Halsey, the creator of the Spartan soldiers. The series also stars Bokeem Woodbine (Soren-066), Shabana Azmi (Admiral Margaret Parangosky), Natasha Culzac (Riz-028), Olive Gray (Miranda Keyes), Yerin Ha (Kwan Ha Boo), Bentley Kalu (Vannak-134), Kate Kennedy (Kai-125), Charlie Murphy (Makee) and Danny Sapani (Captain Jacob Keyes).
"In its adaptation for Paramount+, HALO will take place in the universe that first came to be in 2001 with the launch of Xbox®’s first “Halo” game. Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, HALO the series will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future. In a war for humanity's very survival, our deadliest weapon is our greatest hope. See Master Chief, Cortana, the Covenant, and the other Spartans of Silver Team more in this epic trailer for the new Paramount+ Original Series, Halo. Find the Halo, win the war."
The trailer looks fantastic, with some great looks at Master Chief and others in action against the Covenant as well as the more personal stories the series seems interested in telling between the characters. The story seems to have been changed a bit as well compared to the original games though it's too early to say just how much the series will deviate. Regardless, energy swords always look awesome.
'Halo the Series' premieres exclusively on Paramount+ March 24th.
