According to The Hollywood Reporter, Director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) has officially withdrawn from Showtime‘s series adaptation of the video game series Halo. His sudden exit from the show was caused by scheduling conflicts with some of his other projects. Wyatt was supposed to direct multiple episodes of the series and was also set as executive producer.
“It’s with great disappointment that changes to the production schedule of Halo prevent me from continuing in my role as a director on the series,” Wyatt said. “My time on Halo has been a creatively rich and rewarding experience with a phenomenal team of people. I now join the legion of fans out there, excited to see the finished series and wishing everyone involved the very best.”
“Showtime’s adaptation of Halo is evolving beautifully with rich characters, compelling stories and powerful scripts,” Showtime’s President of Programming Gary Levine said in a statement regarding the departure of Wyatt. “Obviously, the production demands of this series are enormous, and we have had to add time to the schedule in order to do it right. Sadly, this delay has created a conflict for Rupert, whom we warmly thank for all he has brought to the project.”
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Based on the award-winning and record-shattering Xbox franchise, the 10-episode season will be written by Kyle Killen (Awake) who is also set as the showrunner, and executive producer.
Reinventing how people think about video games, Halo and has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. The franchise has sold more than 77 million copies worldwide and has grossed more than $5 billion in sales.
In the Showtime adaptation, Halo will take place in the universe that first came to be in 2001, dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. Halo will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure, and a richly imagined vision of the future.
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Killen is known for serving as creator and showrunner for Awake, Lone Star, and Mind Games. He also wrote the feature film The Beaver, directed by Jodie Foster. Wyatt’s film and television credits include Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Captive State, The Exorcist, The Gambler, Turn: Washington Spies, and his debut feature The Escapist.
Halo is produced by Showtime in association with Microsoft/343 Industries, along with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television. Scott Pennington will executive produce alongside Killen and Wyatt, along with Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank for Amblin Television. The series will be distributed globally by CBS Studios International.
Halo the series will begin production in early 2019.
