‘Halo’ TV Series: Steven Spielberg Was Heavily Involved in ‘Every Aspect’ of Production
Steven Spielberg has taken a very hands-on approach to the Halo TV series. The legendary director’s production company, Amblin Television, helped bring the video game adaptation to Paramount+ after nearly a decade of development hell. Ahead of the series premiere later this month, executive producer Darryl Frank discussed Spielberg’s involvement in Halo’s production, revealing that he looked over every step in the series’ creation.
‘Halo’ spent nearly 10 years in development hell
Xbox and Amblin Television first announced a Halo TV series back in 2013, with Spielberg set to produce. Unfortunately, the project had a very rocky road to production. Like Uncharted and many other video game adaptations, Halo cycled through multiple producers and directors before it could finally get on its feet.
During Microsoft’s Xbox One press conference in 2013, Spielberg discussed his vision for the Halo series:
I’ve been playing games for decades. And I even started playing Pong in 1974. Over the years, that experience has exploded from the simple pixels of Pong to worlds that are as immersive and certainly more physically interactive than those portrayed on the silver screen. … For me, the Halo universe is an amazing opportunity to be at that intersection where technology and myth-making meet to produce something really groundbreaking.
A few years passed without any updates on Spielberg’s adaptation. Then, in 2018, Showtime picked the series up for a 10-episode order. Kyle Killen signed on as a writer, executive producer, and showrunner, while Rupert Wyatt would direct and executive produce. However, Wyatt later had to step down due to scheduling conflicts.
Otto Bathurst became the next Halo director in 2019, and Steven Kane joined as a showrunner. Finally, in 2021, the series moved from Showtime to Paramount+.
Steven Spielberg ‘godfathered’ the Paramount+ ‘Halo’ series
Halo went through personnel changes in nearly every department, but Spielberg remained a constant presence. According to Darryl Frank, the West Side Story director influenced every part of the series as it evolved over the last nine years.
“We treated it as though it was a legacy project of Steven’s,” Frank told Total Film magazine (per GamesRadar).
The executive producer continued on to explain that Spielberg’s hands-on approach applied to not only casting and script decisions, but also things like design and effects.
“He godfathered it in terms of reading every script, helping choose showrunners, writers, director, cast, production design, and visual effects,” Frank added. “Every aspect of it, he looked at.”
The adaptation will appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike, showrunner Steven Kane says
Fans of Spielberg’s work will definitely want to tune in to Halo’s premiere in March. The series follows a cybernetically-enhanced soldier named Master Chief and his mission to defend the human race from a group of aliens known as the Covenant. According to Steven Kane, both longtime fans of the Halo games and newcomers will be able to enjoy the show.
“It’s a great war story and a love story,” he told Total Film. “It’s a story of intrigue and a story of characters who are just reaching for something, and they’re all yearning for something that’s just beyond their grasp.”
Halo premieres on Paramount+ on March 24. Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for more updates.
