Halo launched in November 2001 with its debut first-person shooter video game, Halo: Combat Evolved, released on the original Xbox console by Bungie. From the beginning, it has set the standard of the phrase ‘Killer App,’ becoming a multi-billion dollar franchise that has expanded to every form of media imaginable, including Halo The Series (2022).
Being responsible for cementing Microsoft’s place in the gaming industry, Halo is so beloved by the company that they even went so far as to name their AI assistant for Windows 10 after the Master Chief’s trusted companion, Cortana.
The new live-action television series, simply named ‘Halo’, premiered its first season in March 2022 on Paramount+. Here’s our list of everything you need to know to prepare for the experience.
What is the new Halo series about?
The new Halo TV series serves as an adaptation to the science fiction story, setting, and characters of the mainline video games. Specifically, the plot begins during the 26th century in the year 2552, focusing on the ongoing war between the human military of the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the alien threat known as the Covenant.
2552 is the same year that the events of the game Halo: Combat Evolved and its prequel, Halo: Reach, take place. While the plot is again centered around the franchise’s protagonist, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, episodes of Halo The Series are standalone chapters taking place within a unique “Silver Timeline.” These chapters are separate from the original canon but directly inspired by it.
In addition to the Master Chief, portrayed by Pablo Schreiber, longtime fans will be happy to see other returning faces, including Dr. Catherine Halsey (Natasha McHelone), Cortana (Jen Taylor), and Captain Keyes (Danny Sapani), and more. We will also be getting acquainted with a whole new cast of characters as well.
Where can I watch the new Halo series?
The first season of the Halo TV series is currently available for streaming exclusively on Paramount+. It premiered in March 2022. Paramount+ can be downloaded on the majority of desktop, mobile, or tablet devices. It can also be viewed directly through any modern web browser. Is the new Halo series on Netflix? No.
At the moment, the service has two pricing plans for customers to choose from:
- Essential: Users can stream with small commercial interrupts for as low as $4.99 per month. Optionally, they can purchase an annual plan for $49.99 per year and save 16% off their monthly subscription.
- Premium: Users can stream with no ads for as low as $9.99 per month. Optionally, they can purchase an annual plan for $99.99 per year and save 16% off their monthly subscription. In addition, they are provided with live TV from their local CBS station.
The series is being produced by Showtime in a collaborative partnership with 343 Industries, the current development studio in charge of the mainline Halo video games.
How many Halo episodes will there be?
As of right now, the first season of the new Paramount+ series is confirmed to include 9 episodes in total. Although fans were originally promised an order of 10 episodes, the departure of the original director, Rupert Wyatt, slightly reduced the episode count.
In advance of the season 1 premiere, it was confirmed that there would be a second season of the new Halo TV series. We do not know how many episodes will be ordered for season 2.
Is there another Halo movie or series?
Halo has a rich storyline that has been expanded beyond video games for years. A multitude of novels, comic books, action figures, and Halo movies and TV shows exist as part of the overall canon.
Here is a list of all Halo movies and series that have been released to date, in production order:
- Halo: Landfall (2007)
- Halo Legends (2009-2010)
- Halo: Evolutions (2010)
- Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012)
- Halo: Nightfall (2014)
- Halo: The Fall of Reach (2015)
Halo: Landfall (2007)
A series of video shorts only 7 minutes in combined length, Halo: Landfall was originally designed as a teaser experiment by Bungie to give a glimpse at what a live-action film could look like.
WETA Workshop constructed a complete, working Warthog for the set in addition to various uniforms and weapons. The same Warthog was repurposed and used for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.
Halo Legends (2009-2010)
Halo Legends is a compilation of seven anime films produced by up to 6 different studios. Several of the films have been released on Halo Waypoint, but the entire collection is viewable on DVD, Blu-Ray, and streaming services.
Halo: Evolutions (2010)
A small handful of the stories told in Halo: Evolutions, a novel, were produced as motion comics. They are still viewable on YouTube.
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012)
Initially produced as a web series, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn had 5 episodes released on Halo Waypoint and Machinima Prime in the weeks that led to the release of the game Halo 4. Soon, a complete edition was made available on several video-on-demand services as well as DVD and Blu-Ray.
The plot of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn takes place in the early years of the Covenant War. Thomas Lasky, a cadet at the time, is shown first encountering the alien threat and how he is introduced to the Master Chief during the ensuing conflict.
Halo: Nightfall (2014)
Just like Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, Halo: Nightfall began as a web series with 5 episodes. Ridley Scott served as executive producer, and the episodes became accessible on the Halo Channel App for gamers who bought launch day copies of Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Soon, a complete edition was made available on several video-on-demand services as well as DVD and Blu-Ray.
In the story of Halo: Nightfall, viewers are introduced to the deuteragonist of Halo 5: Guardians, a Spartan named Jameson Locke. However, in this timeline, he is just an ONI Agent tasked with investigating a terrorist threat on Sedra, an outer colony planet.
Halo: The Fall of Reach (2015)
Originally, Halo: The Fall of Reach was released as a novel whose story preludes the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. It was later adapted into a three-part comic in 2010 until it was finally produced as an animated miniseries in 2015. Halo: The Fall of Reach is available for streaming as well as on YouTube.
