A month before the sci-fi series’ first season premieres on the streaming platform, Paramount+ confirms the “Halo” season 2 renewal. The development of a television version of 343 Industries and Bungie’s video game franchise has been stuck in limbo for more than a decade, with a film adaptation planned first before moving to television. “Halo” debuted on Showtime with Kyle Killen as showrunner/developer, but then moved to Paramount+ with Steven Kane as showrunner/developer.
Halo is a video game set in the 26th century that depicts humanity’s struggle against an extraterrestrial force known as the Covenant, with the United Nations Space Command leading the charge. Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 and his band of genetically upgraded Spartan soldiers are tasked with defending humanity on the titular world. Despite its rough development and high expenditure, it appears that Halo’s creators are very optimistic about the game’s future potential.
With less than a month until the show’s premiere, Paramount+ announced on Twitter that “Halo” had been renewed for season 2 ahead of its season 1 release. David Wiener, who previously worked on Brave New World, has been tapped to take over as showrunner for the next installment of the series. Please see the following announcement for the renewal:
We’ve got peak content. The top 10 shows that brought viewers to #ParamountPlus: @NFLonCBS, @1883Official, @iCarly, @PAWPatrol, @quietplacemovie, @infinitemov, @CliffordMovie, @SpongeBob, @SouthPark, and @UEFA.
— Paramount+ (@paramountplus) February 15, 2022
The “Halo” season 2 renewal, which comes a month before the release of season 1, should be a positive omen for fans of the video games who were apprehensive about the adaptation. Though it’s not unheard of for a streaming platform or network to renew a show before it airs, the high expense of “Halo’s” production would have made it acceptable for Paramount+ to wait and see how it does before renewing it. Netflix recently demonstrated this by investing a significant amount of money in its live-action Cowboy Bebop series, with developer Christopher Yost teasing that season 2 plans were in the works ahead of time, but ultimately canceling it owing to low ratings.
The fact that Paramount+ has renewed “Halo” for a second season isn’t surprising, since the streaming service has been looking at its options for a future for the series adaption. Fear the Walking Dead’s David Wiener was rumored to be in talks to take over as showrunner for season 2 after Steven Kane stepped down owing to the amount of time required for the show earlier this month, and Wiener has now been confirmed for the next chapter of the program. The wait for “Halo” is almost over, as the series premieres on March 24 on Paramount+.