Halo

Season 1 Poster

***Halo: The Series*** is a live-action television series based on the video game series *Halo*. *Halo* is available to stream weekly on Paramount+. Season One officially aired on March 24, 2022, with Season 2 in pre-production.

the series already renewed for a second season. A portion of the series was shown at SXSW on March 14, 2022.

## Premise

*Halo* follows an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. Halo will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future.

## Characters

* Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, a towering genetically engineered supersoldier known as "Spartan-117".
	+ Logan Shearer plays a teenage John-117
	+ Casper Knopf plays a child John
* Shabana Azmi as Admiral Margaret Parangosky, Director of ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence)
* Natasha Culzac as Riz-028, a Spartan member of Silver Team
* Olive Gray as Commander Miranda Keyes, a UNSC (United Nations Space Command) officer and scientist and the daughter of Jacob Keyes and Catherine Halsey
* Yerin Ha as Kwan Ha, an Insurrectionist teenager from the outer colony planet of Madrigal
* Bentley Kalu as Vannak-134, a Spartan member of Silver Team
* Kate Kennedy as Kai-125, a Spartan member of Silver Team
* Charlie Murphy as Makee (season 1), a misanthropic human member of the Covenant who was raised by the Hierarchs as a "Blessed One".
	+ Zazie Hayhurst plays a young Makee
* Danny Sapani as Captain Jacob Keyes, a seasoned UNSC officer
* Jen Taylor as Cortana, an artificial intelligence (AI) construct modeled on the brain of Dr. Halsey and implanted in the brain of Master Chief as a means of influencing his decisions. Taylor reprises her voice role from the *Halo* video game series and provides motion capture for the character.
* Bokeem Woodbine as Soren-066, a Spartan deserter who later became an Insurrectionist leader on the Rubble
	+ Jude Cudjoe plays a teenage Soren-066
* Natascha McElhone as Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, a scientist for the UNSC and creator of the Spartan-II Project
	+ McElhone also portrays two flash clones of Halsey

## Release

The first trailer for the series debuted online during the 2022 AFC Championship Game, while also revealing the March release date.

The first two episodes premiered ahead of release on March 14 at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival. The series then debuted on Paramount+ on March 24, 2022. The first episode set a record as Paramount+'s most-watched series premiere globally in its first 24 hours, though no exact viewership numbers were revealed.

In the United Kingdom, the first episode of the series premiered on Channel 5 on June 22, 2022 to promote the launch of the Paramount+ streaming service in that country.

## Production

***Halo: The Television Series*** was announced on May 21, 2013, at the Microsoft reveal of the Xbox One and it has been in development hell for five years as of 2018. The series was said not to be exclusive to a new TV service on the console, and Microsoft confirmed that Steven Spielberg will be Executive Producer. The budget and production value should resemble those of HBO's Game of Thrones. Microsoft's president of entertainment and digital media, Nancy Tellem, said they will take the time necessary to produce the shows and Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer said the show will not be "filler." The series was also stated to have narrative connections to *Halo: Nightfall* during this time.

On June 18, 2018, it was announced that Showtime has ordered a 10-episode season. Kyle Killen will serve as executive producer, writer, and showrunner, while Rupert Wyatt will direct several episodes and also serve in the role of executive producer. Scott Pennington will also executive produce the series, alongside Amblin Entertainment's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. The series will be distributed globally by CBS Studios International.

On December 3, 2018, Rupert Wyatt exited the series as both director and Executive Producer, with Showtime Networks officially claiming the reason was the delay in scheduling created a conflict for Rupert. Rupert called it a "great disappointment" but "wishes everyone involved the very best".

During the Television Critics Association press tour, Showtime president and CEO David Nevins and president of programming Gary Levin revealed that John-117 will appear in the series. Levin stated, "It is a key question and an important part of our series. He is a lead character." He also said that the series will focus on a new story and delve deeper into the backstories of characters, but that they are working with Microsoft 343 to make sure they don't violate the existing canon of the *Halo* universe.

After production was slowed because of the pandemic, the series resumed production in Budapest. However, instead of the show premiering on Showtime, it has been moved to the new streaming network Paramount Plus. Season One was released on March 24, 2022. The series was renewed for a second season ahead of its series premiere.

*Halo* showrunner and executive producer Steven Kane announced his departure from the series after the first season, citing his keenness to return to LA after spending two-years off and on in Hungary.