Paramount+ may have a major 26th-century hit on their hands. The streamer has unveiled that Halo has become their biggest hit for an original series in the first 24 hours since its release. It's unclear what the exact viewership numbers were, nor how the studio measures this rate, though it's a clear winner for them nonetheless.
It's been a long road for Halo to hit television screens, with talents like Steven Spielberg and Rupert Wyatt attached at various points dating back to 2013. The series became a major franchise for the fledgling Paramount+, which has undoubtedly aimed to make a name for itself in the so-called streaming wars. Thus, the imminent success of Halo — which has only premiered its first episode— is a significant win for the streamer.
Paramount+'s Chief Programming Officer, Tanya Giles, said the following about Halo's success thus far:
"Bringing 'Halo' to life as a streaming series has been one of the most rewarding efforts for Paramount+ to date and we could not be more thrilled at the massive fan responses to the series' debut. Along with our phenomenal partners at Showtime, 343 Industries, and Amblin Television, we cannot wait for fans to experience more of this incredible universe."
Halo has been delighting video game fans since its inception in 2001, and the series is just another element to feed their love for the franchise. The show stars Pablo Schreiber in the lead role as Master Chief Petty Officer John-117. The supporting cast includes Shabana Azmi as Admiral Margaret Parangosky, Natasha Culzac as Riz-028, Olive Gray as Miranda Keyes, Charlie Murphy as Makee, Danny Sapani as Captain Jacob Keyes, Bokeem Woodbine as Soren-066, and Natascha McElhone as Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey. Jen Taylor reprises her role as the voice of Cortana in the series, an AI modeled after the brain of Dr. Halsey.
Paramount+ also has some upcoming original programming to keep subscribers entertained. Namely, there is The Offer, starring Miles Teller and Matthew Goode, which tells the story of the origins of the beloved film The Godfather. There is also Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as well as several series from Taylor Sheridan in Lioness starring Zoe Saldaña, Land Man with Billy Bob Thornton, and Tulsa King with Sylvester Stallone.
New episodes of Halo will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ on Thursdays. The first episode is available now.