If you’re a Halo fan, you’re probably aware that 343 Industries is collaborating closely with Showtime on an upcoming TV series based on the iconic FPS franchise. Studio head Kiki Wolfkill has shared a few behind-the-scenes photos that give us an idea of what the show might look like, and it appears that the props, at the very least, should look quite authentic.
One photo shows an alien hand, which most likely belongs to an Elite, while another confirms the involvement of Halo franchise veteran Jen Taylor. Taylor is a fan favorite who has provided the voice for Cortana since the original Combat Evolved. (The role originally went to actress Natascha McElhone, but she had to bail due to scheduling conflicts.)
We also get two photos of some UNSC equipment being hauled around on set. These include a heavy-looking military cartridges box, as well as a long row of iconic Battle Rifles. Also known as the BR55 Service Rifle, this weapon was introduced in Halo 2 as a successor to the original game’s scoped Pistol, providing a quick three-round burst.
“As you may have seen on IG last month, after a herculean effort on Showtime’s part, we were able to go back to Budapest a few months ago and resume production on the Halo television series!,” Wolfkill excitedly shared. “While we were able to cover a lot of ground during the pandemic ‘hiatus’, the thing we couldn’t do while working from home was to actually shoot.”
“So with a rigorous covid protocol in place and our fingers crossed, we picked up where we left off in March and were able to get some amazing footage in the can. Oh, and this time I got to pack Jen Taylor in my luggage to bring her Cortana magic to the show! What a gift to have her on our set and in Budapest with me. So much to share in 2021 but in the meantime, stay safe, Spartans and enjoy this tiny sneak peek!”
343 Industries’ “haloday” blog post also includes an interesting infographic that provides insight on how popular Halo: The Master Chief Collection has been over the past year. The chart reveals that the game has been played for over 41 million hours, with 19,215,024 of those being multiplayer sessions. Nearly 15 billion Covenant have been killed, predominately by the Battle Rifle and Sniper Rifle.
