Live-action Halo series may air on Showtime as well as Xbox

By Rick Marshall Published May 5, 2014

The highly anticipated, live-action Halo series produced by Xbox Entertainment Studios and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television may be adding a new partner to its development team: Showtime.

The deal between Showtime and Xbox Studios will likely involve episodes of the series airing on Showtime before becoming available — with enhanced, interactive features — on the Xbox platform, according to a report in Variety. Negotiations between Xbox Studios and Showtime have been ongoing for a while due to the unique nature of the project and what Microsoft is hoping to achieve with its “Xbox Originals” programming.

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Last week, Xbox Studios named the Halo series as one of high-priority, “committed” projects — which means there’s a very good chance it will make it to the screen in some form. The involvement of Spielberg’s television production company is certainly a good sign for fans who have followed developments on the series for more than a year now.

The latest report suggests that the Halo series is close to naming its showrunners, who will be charged with adapting the sci-fi franchise’s universe.

Given that the Showtime deal hasn’t been mentioned yet in any official statements regarding the project, the way that Xbox and Showtime agree to handle delivery of the series is certain to be a closely watched element of the project. The line of Xbox Originals programming is expected to debut in June, with “unique interactive features customized on a per-show basis” for several programs.

Details on pricing and availability of the programming have not been officially revealed at this point.

Contributing Editor, Entertainment

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