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Spielberg Halo TV Series Will Have Master Chief as a Lead Character; "It's gonna be a big show"
- Thread starter Klobrille
- Start date
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That just seems like a bad idea. The Chief is barely a character, and having the protagonist be a guy who's always behind a mask 24/7 means there's not going to be that much drama to it.
If he's just a character, that's one thing, but he shouldn't be the focus.
If he's just a character, that's one thing, but he shouldn't be the focus.
He's actually a fairly interesting character in the books with a lot more backstory than we're ever presented in the games. I could see it working.
This feels like it's 10 years too late.
It shouldn't have taken near this long to get it off the ground. Wasn't Peter Jackson involved at some point early on?
It shouldn't have taken near this long to get it off the ground. Wasn't Peter Jackson involved at some point early on?
Yeah, I've read one or two of the books. It's just really hard to see that in the games, considering his only real character presence in those is making bland quips and occasionally saying Cortana's name. And it'll be even harder to do that in live action, where his internal monologue won't be visible to the viewer at all times.
With the Neill Blomkamp movie that eventually turned into District 9, yeah.
Or just in time for a massive Halo: Infinite launch.
If the series will go well, this will probably be a huge public boost for the franchise and Halo: Infinite.
Though I wish focus was elsewhere, a retelling of John and co. being kidnapped and indoctrinated into the Spartan program, would be a great jumping off point. John is silent-man behind the mask now, but as a kid and teenager he had a bit more zest to him.
The timing's perfect if you ask me. Halo's been out of the spotlight for a bit, blockbuster television is huge, and the technology is there that they can actually deliver convincing CGI.
The timing's perfect if you ask me. Halo's been out of the spotlight for a bit, blockbuster television is huge, and the technology is there that they can actually deliver convincing CGI.
Every show ever is coming out. Why would it be too late for anything at this point?
Agreed. Since that Infinite trailer you can feel the ground swell. The series will be perfect timing for a resurgence in the franchise.
It's gonna be pretty hard to sell this show to the mainstream audience if the protagonist is a mostly-taciturn guy in a mecha suit and a helmet whose face is never shown. That might go over well with gamers, but audiences aren't going to identify with him.
Are you implying the "mainstream" (or in this case: the Showtime audience) doesn't know who Master Chief or what "Halo" is?
The money and resources needed to turn Halo into a TV show must be eye watering.
If they get it right though? It could be spectacular. Time to get on the Halo Infinite and TV show hype train!
If they get it right though? It could be spectacular. Time to get on the Halo Infinite and TV show hype train!
That's kind of a bummer. Was hoping for something more in line with the first few episodes of Forward Unto Dawn, which was great until, well, Master Chief showed up.
I want to hear the full quote, though. "A lead character" can mean a lot.
I want to hear the full quote, though. "A lead character" can mean a lot.
Yes. Gamers know what Halo is, but if you're trying to sell a show to audiences on a subscription-based premium network like Showtime, you're already looking at a niche of a niche. Expecting all of those people to know and care about Halo is folly, and expecting unversed viewers to be willing to tune in to a show where the protagonist is a faceless dope in a helmet is similarly not the kind of risk you want to take.
If this creative team wants this show to have any chance to succeed outside of gamer circles, you're going to end up seeing John without the helmet fairly often, and you'd better make your peace with that now.
I don't want to be a huge downer but I feel like the Halo craze is long gone. A decade ago this would of been amazing.
Not to mention I feel like a huge part of the Halo fanbase doesn't really care to "get beneath the formidable armor of the Spartans and really getting inside the team drama". It's much like making a COD tv show.
Not to mention I feel like a huge part of the Halo fanbase doesn't really care to "get beneath the formidable armor of the Spartans and really getting inside the team drama". It's much like making a COD tv show.
he takes off the helmet every other comic now, there's no reason to pretend like it's a mystery in any adaptation.
I mean, they can try. But it's not going to really work very well for general audiences who don't already care about Halo unless there's another protagonist to get them invested in the concept. Chief isn't interesting enough on his own to carry a show, especially if he never takes the helmet off.
It's not about the mystery. It's about audiences having a face to identify with and emotions to connect to. A faceless mask can't do that.
Peter Jackson assembled the team that will be making this show.
I'm cautiously optimistic, the long term handling of the Halo world/characters is one of the most disappointing things to me in all of gaming but there's still so much to mine there so it could be incredible.
Also kinda confused about the helmet thing, I thought they've shown him at various ages in what I assumed were canon bits of story/marketing, it shouldn't be an issue either way they go really.
Also kinda confused about the helmet thing, I thought they've shown him at various ages in what I assumed were canon bits of story/marketing, it shouldn't be an issue either way they go really.
If there is a good story to tell in an interesting science fiction universe, why does it have to be popular to be made? The Expanse didnt become a tv show because it was a hot property.
Halo has been in development forever at this point. They even had Alex Garland working on it for a while (known for 28 Days Later, Ex Machina, Annihilation - his feature script was alright).
Iunno if this is a property worth adapting >.>
Iunno if this is a property worth adapting >.>
Peter Jackson was producing a Neill Blomkarp directed movie yeah, but that fell through and turned into District 9 instead.
They better fix the armor. It looked so bad in Forward Unto Dawn, needs to look weathered not clean and shiny.
Master Chief being the lead is a good sign. I was afraid we were going to get some random marine dude who is just some average Joe trying to get by like an unfortunate amount of other generic Hollywood protagonists. I was also afraid the budget was going to be low and not do the grand scale of the games justice, but they seem to be going all out with this so that's good to know. Ultimately, only time will tell if this will be any good.
If all that matters in your eyes is being able to "identify" with a character, who do you think people will identify with - Peter Parker that changes its actor like I switch my underwear or ... The masked Spider-Man? Do you really believe "identifying" with a character is only possible when you see a human face? You act like as if the Master Chief is just some piece of plastic without any character, origin or story. You are very wrong on this one. And it will be the job of this series to deliver this to the viewer.
I can't tell you today if they will deliver on this obviously. No one can. But if they focus on making this a story-driven and emotional series - and not some flat Michael Bay-like explosive sci-fi stuff - then I see a high chance for this to be a success. The things I'm reading on this IGN article are definitely steps into the right direction.
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Becasue this is a video game adaptation using the Halo brand to draw fans in, but as we all know video game adaptations never work becasue they don't understand what made the games popular. Halo never got popular for its team drama. It got popular becasue it was a big budget first person shooter where you could shoot aliens.
If the writing is strong and if they nail the Chiefs role and get a good ensemble cast which tell exciting stories and it all looks incredible will you really care?
Halo is the name that piques the interest and generates the headlines but its the quality of the output that'll get people tuning in each week. To be dismissing it off the bat without us really knowing anything seems a bit premature to say the least.
They started to really inject his book personality into the games with 4 and 5 which showcase it a lot better imho.
Edit:
I think his spoken dialogue went up by like 500% from 3 to 4.
Good video showcasing that.
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Honestly with how they're phrasing the description, makes me think will be about Blue Team.
I've been excited about this for years. Cool to see it finally happen.
It'll surely surpass Forward Unto Dawn and Nightfall right?
It'll surely surpass Forward Unto Dawn and Nightfall right?
ODST and Reach made me realise how much I want to see that universe from perspectives that aren't a Spartans.
I'm fine with this.
I'm fine with this.
I get what your saying but they can easily execute it if they world build around him you can say the same about any other video game adaption. if they build the world and characters right around him it can work
If it is good sci fi, then people will be interested regardless of the name behind it. With The Expanse continuing to gain popularity, there will be people interested in more sci fi.
It can work, but they're putting a huge number of complications right in their own path by focusing the entire show around a character who's physically incapable of emoting. Unless they show scenes of him with the helmet off or do an under-the-visor view like Tony Stark's helmet-cam in the MCU films, the Chief will always look kind of like a clunky action figure or a CGI robot, and that's going to by default make it more difficult for audiences to identify with him.
Like I said, if he's just part of an ensemble cast, they're fine. No worries there. But if he's the primary focus, it's going to be a hard sell for anyone but Halo fans.
I mean, The Expanse is an adaption of the book and kept what made the book good. Halo is going to be an adaption of a video game trying to make it work as a tv show.
Not to mention The Expanse isn't pulling in really great numbers. It got canceled and brought back purely because of the very vocal fanbase. Halo is going to end up a lot like Defiance which also had a video game counterpart.
The original Halo movie project couldn't get off the ground do to failing to agree on a proper budget.
I just hope Showtime steps up to the plate money wise. Give me some good effects, spaceships, maybe even some practical effects for the Covenant.
Also there's no way they would make this show without THE character and poster boy of the franchise. Which means there's a good chance Cortana might play a large role in humanizing Master Chief.
Anyone have any idea when this will take place? Halo CE?
I just hope Showtime steps up to the plate money wise. Give me some good effects, spaceships, maybe even some practical effects for the Covenant.
Also there's no way they would make this show without THE character and poster boy of the franchise. Which means there's a good chance Cortana might play a large role in humanizing Master Chief.
Anyone have any idea when this will take place? Halo CE?