If you are a gamer who grew up in the early 2000s, chances are that the Xbox-exclusive Halo series, its hero Master Chief, and battling your friends in split-screen multiplayer for ultimate bragging rights are some of your fondest memories.
Fans of the first-person shooter have yearned for a television or feature film adaptation of the Halo universe for years and are finally being granted their wish, thanks to Showtime. The network's President of Programming Gary Levine recently gave some news about the upcoming Steven Spielberg-directed series at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.
Levine told IGN that Master Chief will be a "lead character" in the program, but that there will be multiple protagonists. He also said that Master Chief's lack of identity will be an "important part of our series" as well. While the plot will be inspired by the Halo canon, Levine also assured that the story presented in the series will not be an exact replica of the beloved games. Settings for the show will also switch between various planets from across the sci-fi shooter's universe.
"It is a new story but we are being incredibly respectful of the canon and working with the Microsoft/343 people to be sure we don’t violate any of that," he told IGN. Levine added that this show is not solely aiming to cater to fans of the games, but also appeal to a whole new audience. "As [Showtime President and CEO David Nevins] said, our hopes and dreams are that it will have enormous appeal to Halo fans and will also appeal to Showtime drama fans."
Production has yet to begin on Showtime's Halo series, but expect the 10-episode first season to premiere some time in 2020. Gamers can also look forward to the franchise's next chapter—Halo: Infinite—that was announced at this year's E3 conference.
