Pablo Schreiber Teases Depth of Story for “HALO” on Paramount+

We’ve finally gotten our first full trailer for the upcoming live-action “HALO” series. After almost a decade of development across multiple studios, platforms, and creatives, Paramount+ will be the home of the show.

We were lucky enough to take part in the official TCA panel for “HALO” today, and were delighted to hear some of the things discussed.

“It’s a show for people who love the HALO universe, and for people who are just discovering the HALO universe,” star Pablo Schreiber said. “The depth of story we have to pull from is just amazing. Master Chief is one of the most iconic characters of all time, one of the most heroic characters of all time. The opportunities to explore those themes and ideas- the relationship between the warrior and the hero- whats the similarities and where do they diverge is what’s really interesting for me.”

Bokeem Woodbine (“Boardwalk Empire“) who plays Soren-066, chimed in on what the experience of wearing the Spartan armor was like for him.

“The costume is a trip, man. I had it better than the other Spartans because my character goes AWOL. So I have the training in the armor, but I had a certain level of freedom. My character peacemealed the armor together, picking lighter pieces, less restrictive pieces. So I didn’t have it so bad. But it was intense, putting that on every day.”

EP Kiki Wolfkill spoke about bringing in Jen Taylor, voice actor who played Cortana in “HALO” games and also this show. “Jen Taylor is a magical being. Being able to get her for the show was incredible. When we started, she was knee-deep in halo infinite, so even seeing if we could get her was something we weren’t sure about. With Covid slips, everything just fell into place. Having her come on board, feels like a little piece of home for me, bringing her voice and the history of the character was the most valuable part of it.”

“We worked together to do the mocap,” Schreiber said. “Having her on board was great for continuity. Master Chief and Cortana have a special relationship.”

Natascha McElhone, who plays Dr. Catherine Halsey, says she had a strange relationship with the game franchise. “My first experience with it was finding my husband with my 1-year old son on his lap playing HALO. It was a distraction, but a beloved one in our household. It’s thrilling for my kids. I personally am not a gamer, but I witnessed at lot of it. In terms of Halsey, everyone knows who she is from the games. I hope I’m helping to build the legacy of that, and with Jen Taylor who played Halsey in the games. Halsey is someone who’s misunderstood. As far as she’s concerned, it’s all for the greater good.”

Needless to say, we can’t wait to see “HALO” when it premieres on Paramount+ on March 24th, 2022.