Showtime’s Halo live-action series is getting the show on the road under the helm of Black Mirror director Otto Batthurst. Following countless setbacks since it was first revealed, it looks like all of the changes have been for the better and now the team is ready to do the Halo fandom justice with a brand new take on the beloved Xbox franchise. After having named its Master Chief in Orange is the New Black, American Gods actor Pablo Schreiber, the rest of the main cast has been revealed – including Cortana.
According to a recent report by Deadline (courtesy of DFTG), Californication’s Natascha McElhone will be taking on the role of Dr. Catherine Halsey, the creator of the Spartan supersoldiers we know from the game franchise. She will also be taking on the role of Cortana as well, everyone’s most beloved AI. Fargo’s Bokeem Woodbine has also been named as Soren-066 as well as three new faces to the Halo-verse:
- Spartan Kai-125 played by Kate Kennedy
- Spartan Vannak 134 played by Bentley Kalu
- Spartan Riz 028 as played by Natasha Culzac
As for the show itself, the upcoming series is still without a release date, though we do know a little bit about what it will entail. According to the studio, the latest adaptation of the beloved franchise will follow the general paths of the games with a full focus on the 26th-century conflict between the Covenant and humanity. Showtime also added that it will “weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure, and a richly imagined vision of the future.”
Though we don’t have a release window quite yet, filming is set to begin this Fall in Budapest, Hungary. With Awake’s Kyle Killen and The Last Ship’s Steven Kane as the current showrunners, it will be interested to see how they take this hightly beloved video game franchise and flip it into a new live-action tale that all will be able to enjoy. Though not the first live-action adaptation, it could be exactly what Halo fans want prior to 343 Industries’ Halo: Infinite which is currently in the works.
