Showtime has cast “American Gods” star Pablo Schrieber as its Master Chief for its long-gestating “Halo” TV series.
Schrieber will play the lead character, who is described as Earth’s most advanced warrior in the 26th century and the only hope of salvation for a civilization pushed to the brink of destruction by the Covenant, an unstoppable alliance of alien worlds committed to the destruction of humanity.
Showtime also cast Australian actress Yerin Ha, who will play Quan Ah, a new character created just for the TV series. Quan Ah is a shrewd, audacious 16-year-old from the Outer Colonies who meets Master Chief at a fateful time for them both.
“Halo,” which has been in the works for several years, recently underwent a director change. Now, Otto Bathurst will direct multiple episodes of the show, replacing Rupert Wyatt, who dropped out due to scheduling reasons. The show also added a second showrunner to help Kyle Killen, bringing aboard Steven Kane.
“Halo” now has a nine-episode order; Showtime originally greenlit 10. The series is will begin production this fall in Budapest.
Ordered to series last year, “Halo” is an adaptation of the popular video game franchise. Showtime’s television series will be loosely based on the original 2001 Xbox shooter game, “Halo: Combat Evolved.” “Combat Evolved” involves a conflict between humanity and an extraterrestrial threat known as the Covenant.
The show will be executive produced by Killen, Kane, Scott Pennington, Bathurst and Toby Leslie, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. The series will be distributed globally by CBS Studios International.