If “Halo” gets renewed for a second season, it will need to have its third showrunner. Luckily, the producers on the Paramount+ series already have someone in mind.
“We are talking to David Wiener,” says executive producer Justin Falvy, who added Wiener is already at work “sharpening” a potential sophomore run. “Knock on wood we’ll get to that to that place. And our intention is to produce several seasons of the show.”
Wiener is also known for his work Starz’s “Flesh and Bone,” Amazon’s “Homecoming” and was recently showrunner for Peacock’s “Brave New World” adaptation.
“Halo” will debut on March 24. It was first put in development back in 2013 with Steven Spielberg attached to produce for Microsoft’s ill-fated Xbox Entertainment Studios. After years of development hell, it was ordered to series at Showtime in 2018, only to move over to Paramount+ last year.
Steven Kane, who came aboard initially to co-showrun with original showunner Kyle Killen, ended up leaving in the middle of production. Kane will not return for a second season.
“I never really thought it would be a more than a one season thing, just because of the amount of work it takes. It’s a very challenging show to write and produce,” Kane said. “I came in and sort of redeveloped and fleshed out and did my work, but it can’t be done remotely. So I was in Hungary for close to two years out of the three I was working on it. As much as I enjoyed every minute of it, it’s a long time to be away from my family and my kids, who were in their final years of high school. And so I didn’t want to leave again. So while making ‘Halo’ will go down for me as a career highlight, I knew I could really only do it for one season.”
According to Paramount+, the series “will take place in the universe that first came to be in 2001, dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. ‘Halo’ will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future.”
Along with Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief Spartan John-117, “Halo” stars Natascha McElhone as Dr. Halsey, the creator of the Spartan super soldiers, and Jen Taylor as Cortana, the most advanced AI in human history. Additional stars include Bokeem Woodbine, Shabana Azmi, Natasha Culzac, Olive Gray, Yerin Ha, Bentley Kalu, Kate Kennedy, Charlie Murphy and Danny Sapani.
Executive producers include Kane, Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey for Amblin Television in partnership with 343 Industries, director Otto Bathurst and Toby Leslie for One Big Picture and Killen and Scott Pennington for Chapter Eleven. Kiki Wolfkill, Frank O’Connor and Bonnie Ross serve as executive producers for 343 Industries.