That 'Halo' Live-Action Series Is Finally Coming out — but When Does It Finally Drop?

After what feels like an eternity of waiting, the live-action Halo series is finally coming out. Marked by an epic new trailer and a full cast, the series will soon debut on Paramount Plus. Halo will reportedly start off with nine episodes and has been developed alongside 343 Industries, the game studio in charge of newer Halo titles such as Halo: Infinite. But after years of waiting, when does the show finally drop?

The new series will reportedly adapt the story of the first installments of the Halo game series. In the 26th century, humans faces off against a powerful alien threat known as the Covenant. Master Chief is the newest weapon in the fight against the Covenant, but he soon finds himself tapping back into the humanity he thought was programmed out of him. Amid their battle, they learn of the power of the Halo and seek it out in order to change the tide of battle.

The Halo series was first announced during the now-infamous Xbox One reveal conference back in 2013. The show is produced by renowned film director Steven Spielberg and was originally scheduled for a 2019 release. After it was stuck in development hell, news of the series cropped up again in 2018 when Deadline reported that the series would debut on Showtime. Through a bout of changing directors and more radio silence, the series went from Showtime to Paramount Plus in 2021.

David Nevins — chief creative officer at CBS and CEO of Showtime Networks — discussed the change from network to streaming, as reported by Deadline in February 2021:

"We were on the hunt for signature shows beyond the Star Trek franchise on CBS All Access and were thinking, what could be a defining series for Paramount Plus," Nevins said, per Deadline. "Halo always fit the bill, but seeing it, we felt it would work."

With the first official trailer having been unveiled in January 2022, the wait has come to an end after nearly nine years. The Halo live-action series will premiere on March 24. The release schedule of new episodes is currently unknown, but the show could be looking at a weekly release once it debuts.

Any fans of the Halo franchise are probably desperate to know who is portraying Master Chief in the live-action series. Pablo Schreiber of American Gods and Orange Is the New Black fame will step into the shoes of the iconic Halo protagonist. Master Chief is known for never having revealed his face, often hiding it behind the classic Spartan armor helmet. So if you know what Pablo Schreiber looks like, there's your tentative answer for what he looks like under the mask.

Reputable voice actress Jen Taylor reprises her classic role as Cortana, the AI construct that acts as Master Chief's guide. Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey — another notable character in the original games — will be portrayed by Natascha McElhone. The show also stars Yerin Ha, Charlie Murphy, and Shabana Azmi.