Showtime President David Nevins recently gave "Halo" fans some very good news.
The network executive told TV Guide during the Television Critics Association that the television adaptation of the popular first-person shooter game is still very much in development and that they are pleased with what is going on so far, hinting at the possibility that the project is going to push through.
Microsoft announced in 2013 that a live-action adaptation of the game is being developed, with legendary director Steven Spielberg acting as the show's producer. This brought much excitement to fans as Halo gained a massive cult following over the years since its immediate success during its release, and many were convinced that a film or TV adaptation was sure to follow.
However, nothing was heard from Showtime ever since the announcement. The show was expected to be released in 2015, along with the game's fifth installment, but was a no go. And although Nevins also guaranteed that the TV series was in development during that time, he refused to give further details regarding the show's progress, which further cast a dark cloud over its future.
It wasn't even the first time that an attempt to bring the game to life has failed. In 2005, Microsoft attempted to pitch the idea to Hollywood by sending over men dressed as Master Chief, the game's iconic protagonist to the studios along with scripts to hand over to executives. Nothing has been reported to have come out of the stunt.
Nevertheless, it may be different this time around as Showtime President of programming Gary Levine is also convinced that the project is still very much alive. In a report by gaming website Gamespot, Levine said "(Halo) is absolutely still in development, still moving forward and I'm encouraged by what we've seen so far."
Fans may have been aching for years to see a live-action adaptation of one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, and, given the lack of proof that development is actually taking place could mean that they are setting themselves up for more disappointment. But if fans really want to see Master Chief kicking alien butt in the small screen, they are just going to have to take Showtime's word for it.
