The Halo TV show is still coming, apparently - now through Paramount+
posted Sunday Nov 21, 2021 by Scott Ertz
Over the past decade, the focus of the Xbox brand has shifted several times. Under Steve Balmer's time as CEO, Xbox was intended to be the center of your entertainment life. As part of that endeavor, they created Xbox Entertainment Studios and began to create custom content for the platform. The project that was the highest-profile was a series based on the company's Halo franchise, but it has been fraught with issues. Despite 7 years of development Hell, Microsoft showed off a teaser for the project, now destined for a new home on Paramount+.
The History
Microsoft announced a media-focused brand within the Xbox ecosystem called Xbox Entertainment Studios. Over the coming months, a small slate of projects was announced, including a documentary about Atari. But the most important was Halo.
Unfortunately, as time went on, the plans went askew. The brand had staffed up, but was ultimately disbanded. But the Halo series was not dead - they wanted to shop it around and find a new home for it. They have announced new destinations over the years, but here we are, still devoid of the long-awaited series.
Coming to Paramount+
As part of the Xbox 20th Anniversary, Microsoft and Paramount+ showed off a VERY small teaser trailer. In reality, it can best be described as a clip, with Cortana welcoming Master Chief and nothing else. That point is where the clip cuts out - the end.
We do have some information about the project, though. Pablo Schreiber of Orange Is the New Black fame will helm the series as Master Chief, Natascha McElhone from Californication will support as Dr. Catherine Halsey, and most importantly, Jen Taylor will return as Cortana. Jen voices Cortana in the games, Windows Phone, Windows 10, and the Harmon Kardon Invoke speaker.
The series is slated to release on Paramount+ in 2022. That is all we know - it could be January, or it could be December. And, since there has been nearly a decade of delay so far, it could always get pushed back once again.
