The original Halo game was released in 2001 and has since spawned a variety of hugely successful sequels and spin-offs, which makes it all the more surprising that there hasn't been a live-action film or TV series centered around Master Chief yet. It's not for lack of trying as there have certainly been attempts over the years, but things looked promising when Showtime ordered a ten-episode Halo series this summer which would be executive-produced by RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES director Rupert Wyatt. "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 a statement at the time. "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."
In addition to serving as executive producer, Rupert Wyatt was also slated to direct several episodes of the Halo series, but it seems that Showtime and Wyatt have had a parting of the ways as the director has been forced to step down due to scheduling conflicts. In a statement, Rupert Wyatt said:
It’s with great disappointment that changes to the production schedule of Halo prevent me from continuing in my role as a director on the series. My time on Halo has been a creatively rich and rewarding experience with a phenomenal team of people. I now join the legion of fans out there, excited to see the finished series and wishing everyone involved the very best.
Showtime's President of Programming Gary Levine added, "Showtime’s adaptation of Halo is evolving beautifully with rich characters, compelling stories and powerful scripts. Obviously, the production demands of this series are enormous, and we have had to add time to the schedule in order to do it right. Sadly, this delay has created a conflict for Rupert, whom we warmly thank for all he has brought to the project." Casting has been underway for the Halo series, but the focus will now be on finding another director to help guide the project.
Master Chief, a character whose full face has never been revealed in the games, will be a lead character in the Showtime series, and Gary Levine has said that writer/showrunner Kyle Killen has been working on an original idea which will set it apart from the games.
It is a new story, but we are being incredibly respectful of the canon and working with Microsoft 343 people to be sure we don’t violate any of that. We made a conscious decision to hire a writer not known for sci-fi or big battle movies because that’s already baked into the Halo franchise and we will service that but we also wanted to make sure we were getting underneath the armor of the Spartans to the human drama, so it felt like it belonged on Showtime. Our hope is it will appeal to Halo fans and Showtime drama fans.
Rupert Wyatt's next project, CAPTIVE STATE, a sci-fi/thriller which stars John Goodman and Vera Farmiga, will hit theaters on March 29, 2019.