Halo Show Spent Over $40 Million on Production in 2019

In 2019, production finally kicked-off on Halo: The Television Series. Based on the popular Xbox franchise, the live-action series is being filmed in Hungary, where a number of different television and film projects have been underway. According to Variety, $41.3 million was spent on the Halo series in Hungary last year. That number makes it the second-highest spending on a show in the country last year, following TNT's The Alienist: Angel of Darkness. It should be noted that the number only reflects spending in that particular country, however, so it's possible that more has been spent on the show. While numbers such as these aren't necessarily indicative of quality, Halo fans should be happy to know that the series seems to have a significant budget.

Unlike other projects based on video games, Halo: The Television Series will actually take place in the continuity of the games. The show will apparently fill in new details regarding the war between the United Nations Space Command and the Covenant. Pablo Schreiber will star as Master Chief in the series, while Natascha McElhone will play the role of Cortana. The show will last for nine episodes, which will air on Showtime.

Following the success of video game adaptations such as Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog, it will be interesting to see whether or not Halo: The Television Series will be able to attain a similar level of quality. Both of those films were embraced by longtime fans thanks in part to their faithfulness to the source material. The producers of Halo: The Television Series seem to be working closely with developer 343 Industries, so fans should expect to see a final product that remains faithful to the Xbox series. Of course, maintaining the continuity established in the games while making the show relevant to newcomers could prove challenging for producers, so fans will have to judge for themselves how the finished product turns out.

While Halo: The Television Series only has a vague 2021 release window, Halo fans still have quite a bit to look forward to in the coming months. The latest entry in the game series, Halo Infinite, is set to release later this year on Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Series X. A firm date has not been confirmed, but the title is expected to arrive at launch for the Xbox Series X.

Are you looking forward to Halo: The Television Series? Are you happy about the show's budget? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!