Epic TV is a risk. Anyone can make a comedy about struggling comedians in New York, but not everyone has the resources to prop up sweeping fantasy or sci-fi tentpoles like Game of Thrones, Westworld, or Amazon’s billion-dollar Lord of the Rings series. If you pull it off, though, the rewards are myriad, and, per The Hollywood Reporter, Showtime’s just entered epic territory with its newest series, an adaptation of Xbox’s ubiquitous Halo franchise.
In development since 2014, the series has now been given an official, 10-episode order from the network. Kyle Killen, who’s overseen promising, gone-too-soon series like Awake and Lone Star, will serve as showrunner, while Rise Of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt will executive produce in addition to directing multiple episodes.
Per THR, the series “will take place in the same universe [of the game] and will dramatize an epic 26th century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant.” It added, “Halo will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future.”
“Halo is our most ambitious series ever, and we expect audiences who have been anticipating it for years to be thoroughly rewarded,” said Showtime CEO David Nevins. “In the history of television, there simply has never been enough great science fiction. Kyle Killen’s scripts are thrilling, expansive and provocative, Rupert Wyatt is a wonderful, world-building director, and their vision of Halo will enthrall fans of the game while also drawing the uninitiated into a world of complex characters that populate this unique universe.”