Showtime picks up Halo TV series, Production starting early 2019

In a post on Xbox Wire, Showtime announced that they are going to produce a TV series based on the popular Halo gaming franchise. No date was given when the Halo TV show is going to debut but production for the long-awaited project is planned to start in 2019.

Fans of Halo have been waiting ever since 2013 to experience their beloved Halo universe in a different medium. Back then, Microsoft was still introducing their then-new Xbox One console and a vision to unify gaming and watching. Notably, acclaimed director and producer Steven Spielberg was recruited by Redmond to secure a Halo TV series becoming as popular and successful as the games.

It has been five years since and only earlier this year we learned from an interview at TV Guide that Showtime was still developing the TV series. Microsoft had a notable bad start into the current generation of game consoles and had to give back a lot of market share back to Sony, after their success with the Xbox 360. Management change during that time maybe led to a temporary halt of the series production?

So, it comes as positive news that Microsoft now posted the good news on Xbox Wire that the long-planned Halo TV series is actually becoming reality. CBS-owned television network Showtime has picked up the Halo series and is planning to bring Master Chief’s cult universe to the small screen. Showtime president David Nevins says that “Halo is our most ambitious series ever, and we expect audiences who have been anticipating it for years to be thoroughly rewarded”.

Not much about the setting and story has been shared at this early time but viewers can look out for a familiar “epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant”. Kiki Wolfkill from 343 Industries stated her enthusiasm about the new project with “Together with our creative and production partners at SHOWTIME and Amblin Television, the Halo television series will represent new and exciting way for fans to enter and engage with the Halo universe.”

Showtime ordered 10 episodes of the so far untitled Halo series and is going to start production early next year, in collaboration with 343 Industries and Amblin Television.