Once production has finished for the much anticipated Season 1 of Paramount Plus's Halo series, lead showrunner Steven Kane is set to depart from the show, Variety has reported. Although Kane remains attached to the project, which is currently filming in Budapest, should the series garner enough praise for another season, Kane wishes to return stateside due to "personal reasons."
According to the report, Kane has been in Budapest for the past two years after taking over as lead showrunner since co-showrunner Kyle Killen departed the series. It is unclear who will covet the position should the series successfully garner a Season 2, it isn't far-fetched to believe there will be one, considering the massive fan base and hype the series and video game possesses.
The Halo TV series is primed to follow much of the lore from the original games. The game follows Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, a super-soldier created for the Spartan-II program, who will be played by Pablo Schreiber. What follows is "an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant." Californication's Natascha McElhone will also co-star as the brilliant and conflicted creator of the Spartan super soldiers, Dr. Halsey, while Jen Taylor is reprising her iconic role as Cortana, Master Chief's highly advanced A.I. companion. Bokeem Woodbine, Shabana Azmi, Bentley Kalu, Natasha Culzac, Kate Kennedy, Danny Sapani, Olive Gray, and Charlie Murphy are also set to star. Amblin Television will produce the series alongside Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey as executive producers.
Although the series had been delayed to COVID-19, it seems production is still running strong despite news of Kane's upcoming departure. Additionally, the series shift from Showtime to Paramount Plus in late February should also positively impact the series moving forward. Be sure to keep up with Collider for more upcoming information.