Showtime has officially found its Master Chief, announcing today that Emmy-nominated actor Pablo Schreiber (American Gods, Orange Is the New Black) will suit up as the iconic Spartan super soldier in the upcoming Halo television series. The production drama surrounding this highly anticipated adaptation of the best-selling Xbox video game franchise
has been well-documented, but finding its lead actor is a major step forward for the series. The long-gestating project recently brought on Otto Bathurst as director and executive producer,
replacing Rupert Wyatt, who stepped away in late 2018 due to a scheduling conflict.
Specific details regarding Showtime's
Halo series have been kept under wraps, but it sounds like the adaptation will at least somewhat stay true to the franchise on which it is based after. Master Chief, for example, will
remain a pivotal character in the show. It's unknown if we'll see the character unmasked in the series or if he'll don his signature helmet like in the game.
Showtime's
Halo series has been described as
“an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant,” weaving
“deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future." Showtime CEO David Nevins previously described it as
"futuristic, space-based science-fiction."
But while the series will seemingly be at least loosely based on the conflict presented in the video game, it seems the show's creators will take some creative liberties with the story. For example, joining Schreiber on this adventure is Australian actress Yerin Ha, who will play Quan Ah, a new character created specifically for the show. Quan Ah is described as a
"shrewd, audacious 16-year-old from the Outer Colonies who meets Master Chief at a fateful time for them both."
Showtime's
Halo series was initially slated for ten episodes but has been cut down to nine, though the reduction had more to do with the story and was seemingly not related to the production woes.