To adapt Bungie’s first-person shooter for the big screen, Paramount spent $10 million for each episode, and with every knowing wink, the message grows louder: This show is for the fans. The Paramount+ drama-fantasy series – Halo, based on the popular video game franchise has succeeded domestically for the streamer: it is the second-most viewed original series on Paramount+ after the “Yellowstone” prequel “1883,” and it encouraged sign-up activity for weeks before its March 24 launch.
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This program has been a pillar of Paramount+’s foreign rollout plan, which has accelerated this year. However, as per reviews, it’s not a very good sci-fi show, with so many better options out there in the streaming age, and it’s not a great Halo program, with genuinely puzzling character choices and lore changes virtually every episode.
Halo had to be adapted for Television says Paramount+ CCO
“Halo,” which has already secured a Season 2 renewal, comes as Paramount Global continues to develop its streaming service into a global platform. The show’s intense subject matter—stories of resistance against authoritarian regimes—is timely and compelling, according to David Nevins, chairman, and CEO of Showtime and CCO of scripted originals for Paramount+. This makes it different from most video game adaptations, in his opinion.
“It has a political worldview that people tap into and relate to. For science fiction, it’s got a political sophistication that is resonating in these times.”
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Nevins praises Microsoft and the 343 teams for their adaptability in enabling producers to successfully adapt the narrative to a premium TV environment. Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey from Amblin Television have also guided the TV show through its numerous twists and turns.
“They knew it had to be adapted for television. They gave the writers, directors, and production designers a fair amount of leeway with their property. The TV show is not going to give you the experience of the video game. But it does expand the narrative in ways that premium television is very good at. It allows you to get lost in the world and the relationships. This show is ultimately a story about war and the human costs of endless war. That’s a very powerful theme in a lot of places in the world.”
All nine episodes for Halo are now available to stream on Paramount+.
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