According to the Chief Content Officer of Scripted Originals at Paramount+, David Nevins, the company is looking to turn Halo into a mega-franchise.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Nevins confirmed that Paramount is already looking at ways to expand Halo content. "There are a lot of different ways you can go," he explained. "It is also enormously franchisable." He added, "There are so many different games. It has got so many different directions. Yes, [we are] starting to think about that as a franchise."
Nevins' comments come on the heels of Halo being named Paramount+'s second-biggest original series. Viewership numbers for the show are just shy of that of 1883, a Yellowstone spinoff. Halo also saw a record of its own. The series premiere for the adaptation of the Xbox game franchise broke 1883's streaming record, making it Paramount's most-watched series premiere within 24 hours of its release.
Despite its high viewership, some fans had issues with Halo's first season. Many complained at the reveal of Master Chief's face, something never done in the game series. The show also caused fan outrage by depicting Master Chief losing his virginity. The show's executive producer, Kiki Wolfkill, promised that she and her team would consider the critiques as they prepare for Season 2.
"We're still getting feedback [on Halo Season 1]," she explained, adding, "It's interesting to me to see characters that are resonating or not. I will say, philosophically, [we are] absolutely looking at all of the feedback, good and bad, from each episode. And those are the things that will carry forward as learnings into Season 2, just like all of the learnings we had on Season 1 [that] we get through the courses of the production, we'll carry those forward."
Halo was renewed for a second season before the first season even aired. In part, Nevins said the decision came from Paramount's confidence that the show would be a hit. He explained that Paramount+ believed Halo's "electrifying visuals" and "bold, character-driven storytelling" made it an inevitable success, substantiating the early renewal.
Halo stars Den of Thieves' Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief Petty Officer John-117. Additional cast includes Shabana Azmi, Natasha Culzac, Olive Gray, Yerin Ha, Bentley Kalu, Kate Kennedy, Charlie Murphy, Danny Sapani, Jen Taylor, Bokeem Woodbine, and Natascha McElhone.
Season 1 of Halo is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter