Hype is starting to build for the live action adaptation of the popular first-person shooter franchise that has been running on the Xbox and Windows PC since 2001. After a long development and multiple false starts, does the HALO show look good enough to please its die-hard fans? Check out the details of the HALO series for Paramount+ revealed below.
Everything old is new
The new HALO trailer was aired by CBS during the halftime break of the AFC Championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Don’t miss the world premiere of the official trailer for @HaloTheSeries at halftime. pic.twitter.com/oxKHbXWIxb — NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 30, 2022 According to the show’s executive producer, Kiki Wolfkill, the HALO live action series will follow a different timeline than the one established in the games. The producer goes on to state that the live action version will have the official designation as the Halo Silver Timeline. However, the show will still derive from the canon. HALO franchise director Frank O’Connor elaborated on how this would be implemented: Longtime fans of the HALO franchise will likely be disappointed to hear that the show will not be a one-to-one adaptation of the events from the video games. However, this is a necessary change, as a complete adaptation will leave very little room for creativity. Just as with other popular video gaming franchises adapted to different media such as Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, Sonic The Hedgehog, to name a few, some creative license was used. According to 343 Industries Community Writer Alex Wakeford, while the continuity will not completely line up with the game’s canon, there will be other elements pulled from other sources, such as spinoff novels and comic books, similar to how Star Wars is now deriving material from the Expanded Universe content (otherwise known as the Legends continuities). In the end, this will allow the production team and creative heads to present twists and unexpected wrinkles in the course of the show, allowing both old and new fans of the HALO franchise to experience this world with fresh eyes.
What we know so far
Based on the details revealed in the trailer itself, the period for the Paramount+ series will be around the same time span as the first HALO game. The circumstances on how Master Chief and Cortana will encounter the Halo ring will be different. The trailer also shows the series will incorporate later additions to the lore of the universe, including having other Spartans and the human distrust and eventual uprising, as well as Master Chief’s inevitable internal conflict with the UNSC command, with the latter’s suspicions of not having full control over their super-soldier. The Covenant forces are also slightly altered from the versions found in the game. Visually, however, the current production is very close to the source material. Master Chief’s iconic Spartan powered armor and weaponry are accurately represented. Vehicles and ships are also consistent with those from the video games, including the familiar M12 Warthog all-terrain, anti-infantry light combat transport. An updated official synopsis for the HALO series on Paramount+ has also been released, including the targeted release date: The HALO live action series has been in development since 2013. It was originally targeted as a Showtime production under Viacom/CBS. After nearly a decade in development hell, it finally finds a home at the Paramount+ streaming service. If the new trailer is any indication, that lengthy delay may have been for the best, as the production values appear to be top-notch. HALO The Series stars Pablo Schreiber (Master Chief, Spartan John-117), Jen Taylor (Cortana), Natascha McElhone (Dr. Halsey), Bokeem Woodbine (Soren-066), Natasha Culzac (Riz-028), Olive Gray (Miranda Keyes), Shabana Azmi (Admiral Margaret Parangosky), Yerin Ha (Kwan Ha Boo), Kate Kennedy (Kai-125), Bentley Kalu (Vannak-134), Charlie Murphy (Makee) and Danny Sapani (Captain Jacob Keyes).
