Months away from the expected start of principal photography and Showtime's eagerly anticipated television adaptation of the popular video game franchise Halo has just faced another huge setback.
Rupert Wyatt, who was previously attached to the upcoming series as an executive producer and producer, has dropped out of the production citing changes to the production schedule causing scheduling conflicts with other commitments.
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"It's with great disappointment that changes to the production schedule of Halo prevent me from continuing in my role as a director on the series," announced Wyatt in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "My time on Halo has been a creatively rich and rewarding experience with a phenomenal team of people. I now join the legion of fans out there, excited to see the finished series and wishing everyone involved the very best."
The adaptation of the iconic sci-fi shooter was developed by Wyatt and showrunner and fellow executive producer Kyle Killen. The first season received a ten-episode order from Showtime this past June with filming pushed to June 2019 in Budapest for a 2020 premiere.
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"Showtime’s adaptation of Halo is evolving beautifully with rich characters, compelling stories and powerful scripts," explained Showtime President of Programming Gary Levine in his own statement. "Obviously, the production demands of this series are enormous, and we have had to add time to the schedule in order to do it right. Sadly, this delay has created a conflict for Rupert, whom we warmly thank for all he has brought to the project."
With Wyatt's exit, there is no word if the production is still expected to begin principal photography in June or if the series faces a delay as the search for a potential replacement begins.