It has emerged that the forthcoming live-action Halo TV series will not air until 2021.
As reported by Variety, the TV adaptation of Microsoft’s much-loved first-person shooter, originally touted for a 2020 release, will not now arrive until the first quarter of 2021.
Additionally, it will now span nine episodes, instead of the originally touted 10. However, Variety did provide a degree of consolation for impatient Halo fans: the show’s casting has been more or less finalised. Natascha McElhone (most recently seen in Designated Survivor) will play two parts: Spartans creator Dr. Catherine Halsey and Cortana. Bokeem Woodbine has also been signed up to play Soren-066, a part described by Variety as: “A privateer at the fringes of a human civilization whose fate will bring him into conflict with his former military masters and his old friend, the Master Chief.” Woodbine’s past credits include Spider-Man: Homecoming and Fargo.
As previously announced, Pablo Schreiber will play Master Chief in the show, and Variety revealed some other cast additions, including Shabana Azmi, who will play Admiral Margaret Parangosky, the head of the Office of Naval Intelligence; Bentley Kalu (who has appeared in Doctor Who and Spooks), as the Spartan Vannak-134; Natasha Culzac as another Spartan, Riz-028; and Kate Kennedy as the Spartan Kai-125.
Variety also reported that the series will begin filming in Budapest later this year, and it will be a Showtime production in conjunction with Amblin Entertainment and 343 Industries, distributed globally by CBS Studios International (as yet, there is no news as to which channels the show might air on in the UK). For more Halo-related information, visit the franchise’s official website.
