The Halo TV series just became a Paramount Plus exclusive
Master Chief's live-action adventures are heading to Paramount Plus.
The Halo TV series will exclusively launch on the Paramount Plus streaming service, the trade publication Deadline has revealed. The show is inspired by the Microsoft-owned gaming franchise of the same name, which launched back in 2001 on the original Xbox console.
News of the Halo series airing on Paramount Plus may come as a surprise to some, not least because the project had previously been in development at the American network Showtime. The Showtime network remains involved in the Halo TV series as one of the producing partners, though, alongside the game developers 343 Industries and (interestingly enough) Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television.
Paramount Plus, if you're unfamiliar, is a rebranded version of the CBS All Access streaming service, where original series such as Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard are housed in the US. Owned by ViacomCBS, Paramount Plus will launch in the USA on 4th March 2020.
David Nevins, Chief Creative Officer at CBS, offered an explanation for the rehousing of the Halo series, saying, "We were on the hunt for signature shows beyond the Star Trek franchise on CBS All Access and were thinking, what could be a defining series for Paramount+." After seeing the first footage from Halo, the decision was made. Nevins added, "Halo always fit the bill, but [after] seeing it, we felt it would work."
With Steven Spielberg among the producers and Peaky Blinders alum Otto Bathurst involved as a producer and director, there's some impressive pedigree behind the scenes on Halo. And you might recognise the star, too: Pablo Schreiber is set to play the games' hero Master Chief, and you might have seen him before in American Gods, The Wire or Orange is the New Black.
Teasing the Halo show's story, Deadline states, "Halo will take place in the universe that first came to be in 2001, dramatising an epic 26th century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. The show will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future."
There's no word on a UK launch for the Paramount Plus streaming service, and so, for now, it's impossible to know where we'll be watching the Halo series in the UK.
But don't worry, there's still plenty of time for the Halo series to find a British broadcaster: although an exact release date hasn't been confirmed yet, the Halo series is aiming to launch in Q1 2022. Before then, fans will be able to check out Halo Infinite, the latest game in the franchise, which is due to launch later this year.
Read more on Halo:
- Halo Infinite campaign review - a masterful return for the Chief
- How long is the Halo Infinite campaign?
- Halo Infinite achievements list - how to unlock them all
- Halo Infinite multiplayer - all the essential details
- How to fix Halo Infinite blue screen crashes
- All the Halo games in story order - how many have you played?
- Halo Infinite ending explained
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Authors
Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.
