Live-action Halo series cancelled after two seasons
Paramount's live-action Halo series has been cancelled after two seasons, but with critics panning changes from the games and Pablo Schreiber's Master Chief, it seems there's no love lost.
19th Jul 2024 10:21
Images via Paramount
Live-action Halo series cancelled after two seasons
Paramount's live-action Halo series has been cancelled after two seasons, but with critics panning changes from the games and Pablo Schreiber's Master Chief, it seems there's no love lost.
19th Jul 2024 10:21
Images via Paramount
The writing was already on the wall for Paramount's live-action Halo series, but after two seasons of seeing Master Chief without his helmet and plenty of Pablo Schreiber's backside, the network has pulled the plug on the video game adaptation.
In a golden age of TV series based on video games, the likes of The Last of Us and Fallout reign supreme. Sadly, for every one of these, there's a Halo or Netflix's Resident Evil. While some didn't think Halo would even make it to Season 2, it's now limping to that great TV graveyard in the sky.
Paramount's Halo cancelled after two seasons
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has axed Halo after just 17 episodes. "Paramount+ can confirm that ‘Halo’ will not move forward with a third season on the service," said a statement, going on to thank partners at Xbox, 343 Industries, and Amblin Television.
There were also thanks to showrunner and Executive Producer David Wiener, the other EPs, the crew, and the cast led by Pablo Schreiber. Paramount concluded by saying, "We wish everyone the best going forward." Although this sounds like a pretty definitive end, there's word that the team could be looking to find a new home for Halo.
THR adds, "Sources say the show’s producers — Amblin, Xbox and 343 Industries — will look to land the series at another outlet for a third season. Paramount+ is said to be supportive of a possible move." This wouldn't be unheard of, with the likes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Arrested Development getting a new lease of life elsewhere.
As for the fans, they aren't exactly surprised that this is where things are ending (for now). Responding to the news, one critic said, "Let it die. Even if it wasn't canon it still disrespected the lore way too much." Another added, "Reboot and make it actually good," while a third concluded, "Should've been cancelled after the first season."
It seems that Halo just wasn't meant to be. A live-action adaptation had been struggling to get off the ground since 2013, and when it finally got going, it was massively affected by COVID-19. The series then changed hands several times and lost co-showrunner Kyle Killen before Season 1 even aired.
Reception to the first run of episodes was mixed, but then came the blow that other showrunner Steven Kane was leaving ahead of Season 2. Although David Wiener led the sinking ship into Season 2 and review scores actually improved, Halo couldn't be saved.
Even though it sounds like a minor complaint, it seems that Halo lost most people's faith when it removed Master Chief's helmet and let us see Schreiber. Much like how Disney+'s The Mandalorian was slammed when Din Djarin took off his iconic helmet, these tiny details really can rattle an entire fandom. Oh well, better luck next time.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
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