Halo is gearing up for the release of a new game, but the next installment will have its momentum followed up by the franchise’s first TV adaptation, which is set to explore an entirely new facet of Master Chief.
Although initially the Halo live-action series was supposed to be Showtime exclusive, earlier this year it was confirmed that Master Chief and the rest of the USNC would be heading to Paramount Plus in a move that will surely make the streaming service more appealing for gamers. That in itself has been part of Halo's hard-fought journey to film adaptation, which culminated in the ongoing production.
For anyone wondering what that’s been like, executive producer and 343 Industries Head of Transmedia Kiki Wolfkill (yes, that’s her real name, not a gamertag) recently sat down with IGN to discuss what it takes for Halo to land on TV. The biggest challenge is removing the experience of jumping inside Master Chief’s armor suit and gunning down Covenant troops by asking people “to sit back and say we’re going to present a side of Master Chief that you just don’t get to play in the game.”
Wolfkill holds the Halo franchise incredibly close to her heart after having worked as a producer on the fourth installment and being a self-confessed gamer who grew up on titles like Doom and Tomb Raider, so she claims it’s important to get the “why” part of the adventure right. So far, Halo's team of producers has shared a few screenshots from the set that show the kind of effort that’s gone towards recreating Master Chief’s world, something which she considers key.
The Halo TV series will star actor Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief alongside a few newcomer Spartans, yet it’s also bringing back key actors to reprise the roles that made their voice so familiar for fans of the games, such as Jen Taylor (Cortana) and Natascha McElhone (Dr. Catherine Halsey). More recently, Halo made a surprise appearance at Free Guy’s premiere, proving the franchise is ready to dip its toes into other forms of media ahead of the series premiere.
The story for the TV series is reported to be set around the time Halo: Combat Evolved’s events take place, so the Flood, the Arbiter, Brutes, and Prophets will probably make way for the lower ranks of the Covenant army in its earlier stages. Regardless of that, most fans would probably want to stay clear of spoilers just like for Halo Infinite.
Halo the TV series is set to premiere on Paramount Plus in early 2022.
Source: IGN