Master Chief is back in the fight front and center in Showtime’s Halo adaptation.
While presenting for the network at a Television Critics Association (TCA) press event, Showtime President and CEO David Nevins revealed the upcoming adaptation of the popular video game shooter will feature multiple protagonists including fan-favorite character John-117, better known to players as Master Chief.
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“It took us a long time to get the script but we felt like we had something that was really interesting and felt like it belonged on Showtime in terms of its character depth, and it’s going to be a big show,” explained Nevins.
Confirming that the series is on track for a 2020 premiere, the adaptation will have a ten-episode first season written by Kyle Killen (Awake) who will also serve as showrunner. Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt will helm several episodes and executive produce the series.
“We made a conscious decision to hire a writer not known for sci-fi and not known for big battle movies because that’s already baked into the Halo franchise, and we will service that, but we also wanted to ensure that we were getting beneath the formidable armor of the Spartans and really getting inside the team drama so it felt like it belonged on Showtime,” revealed Showtime President of Programming Gary Levine.
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Showtime had officially greenlit the Halo series in June of last year and, while details on the adaptation remain under wraps, it will reportedly take place on multiple worlds as an ensemble series with multiple lead characters.
(via IGN)