Xbox Studios & Showtime Near Deal For Halo TV Series

May 2, 2014

Back at E3 2013, Xbox Entertainment Studios announced plans to create a Halo TV series with Steven Spielberg attached as an executive producer. While the potential “Halo” original series didn’t immediately come together, it looks like it may be an even bigger deal than Xbox first anticipated.

Variety is reporting that Xbox Entertainment Studios and Showtime are “deep in negotiations” to develop the live action “Halo” series. Speilberg’s Amblin TV remains attached to the “Halo” TV series, which would likely be broadcast first on Showtime before coming to Xbox Live.

The report notes that the deal has not yet been reached and that it will likely not be a straight-to-series order. However, Xbox Entertainment Studios is supposedly close to signing “a pair of showrunners to steer the series adaptation of the expansive bible developed by screenwriter Stuart Beattie.”

Showtime’s involvement with the potential “Halo” TV series should be great news to fans of the franchise. Showtime has previously produced sci-fi shows including ““Odyssey 5” and the first five seasons of “Stargate SG-1.” Showtime would also be less likely to shy away from the violent content that a “Halo” TV series would inevitably depict.

If the deal goes forward, Xbox Live would get “enhanced interactivity” from the episodes of “Halo” following their exclusive broadcast window on Showtime. The report notes that this deal has taken a long time to come together and may be one of the first of its kind.

E3 is coming up soon, so perhaps Xbox Entertainment Studios will make another “Halo” TV series announcement there.

TV Channel Editor Blair Marnell

Blair Marnell is best known for his two year stint as a columnist for Comics Bulletin before writing professionally for Wizard Magazine, Geek Monthly and MTV Splash Page. He has also previously worked as a freelance editor for Tokyopop and Radical Comics in addition to serving as an executive producer for the popular web series, Comics on Comics.

As Crave Online's TV Channel Editor, Blair indulges his television addiction by writing about some of the best TV series on the air.

In fact, he's probably watching TV right now.