Halo showrunner Steven Kane explains why he made the decision to step away from the show after only one season. Based on the popular video game franchise of the same name, Halo, the upcoming series from Paramount+, will chronicle humanity's war with the alien Covenant in the 26th century. Although several live-action Halo projects have previously been released, including Halo: Nightfall, the new series marks the biggest and most expensive Halo adaptation to date and is the first to fully focus on the iconic Master Chief as a central character.
The Halo series has had a somewhat troubled development path, with the series first being announced in 2013 with Steven Spielberg attached to produce. Originally given the green light at Showtime in 2018, the series eventually lost its director and executive producer Rupert Wyatt before it ultimately found a home on Paramount+ in 2021. Showrunner Kyle Killen left the project before production actually began and was replaced by Kane, who oversaw the remainder of production season one. After years of anticipation and a rocky development road, the Halo series is finally poised to release this coming March, having just recently unveiled its first full-length trailer.
Speaking at the 2022 Television Critics Association Halo presentation, Kane talked about his decision not to return should the show get a second season. While he seems to have enjoyed his time making the series, Kane explains that it simply took him away from his family for too long. Check out Kane's full comment below:
"I never really thought it would be a more than one season thing just because of the amount of work it takes. It's a very challenging show to write and produce.
So, 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. My kids were in their final years of high school and so I didn't want to leave again.
While making Halo will go down for me as a career highlight, I knew I could really only do it for one season. The people at Showtime and Paramount+ were gracious enough to allow me to finish post-production on season one here in LA, which I'm still doing up until we air. And the show looks amazing.
And if, when, there's a second season, I'm going to take a step back and consult and be available for the new people. We’ll have a new team come in with some fresh eyes to pick up where I left off, which I think is kind of great for the show. Just to keep bringing in new people. It's such a big world that it takes 10 times more work and energy than any normal show."
It's not clear yet whether Halo will get a second season, but it doesn't sound like Kane will be washing his hands of the show altogether. Although he may want to spend more time with his family, Kane still made clear that he will be happy to act as a consultant for whoever takes his place should the show move forward with another season. Halo may have had an arduous development journey, but Kane's comments suggest that his decision to leave is about being able to spend more time with family and not about any problems he had with the show's actual production.
Considering the grand scale of the Halo games and the rich lore surrounding them, it's not surprising that making only one season has proven to be such an exhausting task. With futuristic military technology, space travel, and alien creatures, the show undoubtedly involved large amounts of both practical effects work and CGI to bring it all to life, something that Kane would have had to coordinate and oversee. With all the time, money, and effort put into Halo, Paramount+ is likely hoping the show proves popular enough for a second season. If it does, however, it sounds like Kane will be more than happy to offer his expertise from a less hands-on position. Halo begins streaming on Paramount+ on March 24th.
Source: TCA