It’s Time For The Halo Movie Fans Were Promised Years Ago

The Halo TV series was canceled after two seasons, presenting the perfect opportunity to give fans the movie they were promised years ago, which could help correct the show’s mistakes. The Halo franchise began in 2001 with the release of Halo: Combat Evolved. The game series has been going strong ever since, even taking forays into new genres, such as Halo Wars, and expanding into comics and anime. The most recent entry was Halo Infinite, released in 2021, with more games reportedly in development. Over its lifespan, Halo has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

For almost as long as Halo has been around, fans have been promised a movie adaptation of the beloved IP. Despite some of Hollywood’s finest creative minds being attached to it, the Halo movie was lost in development hell. While there have been live-action movies, like Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, a proper big-screen adaptation has eluded audiences. However, in 2022, fans received a live-action Halo TV series that saw Master Chief take on the Covenant, promising gamers the adaptation they had been waiting to see. However, the show only lasted two seasons before its cancelation, having faced harsh criticism from gamers who felt unsatisfied with Halo’s run on TV. Now, it’s time for the promised movie to fix the mistakes of the Halo show.

The Halo TV Series Was Flawed Yet Entertaining For Viewers Who Didn’t Play The Games

Any adaptation that draws from beloved source material is going to come with baggage, as fans will have high expectations for the story and characters. Still, the creative minds crafting it for a new medium hope to satisfy both fans and new viewers adequately. Given the scope of popularity Halo saw, it may have been a far more demanding job than most may realize. However, the series ultimately provided entertainment that many audiences enjoyed.

Both seasons of the Halo show are rated “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, with Season 1 holding a 70% critic score and the second season improving to 90%. However, there is a distinct aspect that highlights the conflict inherent in Halo. The audience score for Season 1 is a “Rotten” 52%, though Season 2 fares better at 70%. Still, with the disparity between critics and audiences, the Halo series may have leaned too hard into appeasing general audiences, alienating game fans with lackluster choices for the show.

Leading up to the release of the Halo series, audiences were teased with exciting imagery, featuring Master Chief in action, recognizable vehicles like the Warthog, and even iconic weapons like the Energy Sword. Many of these things proved to be accurately adapted for fans, with the show often capturing the awe-inspiring nature of the game’s unique environments or the imposing nature of enemies like Brutes. However, what the show got right frequently couldn’t outweigh the things it got wrong.

The greatest sin of the Halo show may be removing Master Chief’s helmet, as the character is notorious for never taking it off. This was a massive strike against the series in the eyes of many fans. In doing so, the team working on the show was able to delve into the character in ways the game couldn’t, but it also showed a more emotional Master Chief, deviating from his stoic nature in the games. The series also added unnecessary storylines, such as those involving Kwan Ha and Makee. These may have felt pivotal toward the end of Season 2, but gamers found them extraneous. Had the show continued for another season or two, it might have found ways to tell some of the franchise’s best stories, but its conflicted audience likely contributed to Halo’s end.

Halo Fans Were Promised A Movie From Some Of The Best Writers & Directors In Sci-Fi

Talks of a Halo film have been kicking around since 2002. It has even been in development with some true Hollywood heavyweights who could have done the source material justice. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson was attached to the adaptation as a director for a long time before stepping back as a producer, letting Neill Blomkamp take on the role. Their canceled Halo collaboration ultimately led to Blomkamp’s District 9, further showing what could have been had their film come to fruition.

Alex Garland, known for directing Ex Machina and Civil War, as well as penning scripts for 28 Days Later and Dredd, was attached to the Halo film for a time, having written a script as far back as 2005. Knowledge surrounding the project suggests a faithful adaptation, especially from the writer (and shadow director) of Dredd. True to the games, the script saw the protagonist wearing his helmet throughout the entire film.

Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro was also involved with a potential Halo film. However, del Toro’s version may have been the most significant swing in terms of script plans. While the story was said to be centered on The Flood, he wanted to include an evil twin for Master Chief that allied himself with the alien threat. Given the pedigree of the creatives involved, the Halo movie should have been a sure thing, but it ultimately never materialized for various reasons before being adapted for TV.

It’s Time To Bring Halo To The Big Screen, Correcting The Show’s Mistakes

The cancellation of the Halo TV series may not seem shocking to many, especially those who were upset about changes to Cortana’s character or the reveal of Master Chief’s face. However, the movie that fans were promised years ago could make things right. Garland’s own Dredd has proven it’s possible to succeed with a movie that doesn’t see the protagonist remove their helmet, relying on the character to thrive as fans know them. Shows like The Mandalorian have also proven the potential for quality storytelling in a longer format via the same conceit.

A film can also stay closely focused on Halo lore, with less need to tell filler stories. It would require an adept director, but someone like Jackson, who brought The Battle of Helm’s Deep to life, could craft a masterpiece with something like The Fall of Reach. Some likely writers and directors who grew up as gamers over the last 20 years could expertly craft a Halo film for the big screen, fixing the mistakes the series made by sticking closer to fan expectations. Ultimately, this approach could give Halo fans something beyond flashy references, letting them experience the game’s story and characters in a whole new way that they can enjoy.