According to Deadline, Pablo Schreiber, who currently stars in the fantasy drama series American Gods, will take on the role of Master Chief in the TV adaptation of the beloved Xbox franchise. Schreiber—who received an Emmy nomination for his work in Orange is the New Black—also starred alongside 50 Cent and O'Shea Jackson in last year's action movie Den of Thieves and Dwayne Johnson in Skyscraper.
Ten episodes have been ordered for the series, which will be executive-produced by Steven Spielberg. Gary Levine, Showtime's president of programming, acknowledged the difficulty of casting an actor for the role of a character who has never shown his face, calling Master Chief's character "a key question and an important part of our series."
Though the series is said to follow the canon, it will also introduce many new elements, including multiple protagonists. Actress Yerin Ha will take on the role of Quan Ha, a new character in the Halo universe. Quan Ha is described as "shrewd, audacious 16-year-old from the Outer Colonies who meets Schreiber’s Master Chief at a fateful time for both characters."
Production on the series will commence this fall in Budapest, Hungary.
