Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One today, and embedded in its bounty of announcements relating to the new console was the exciting news that Steven Spielberg is developing and will produce a live-action TV series based on the popular Halo franchise.  Microsoft has been trying to get a big screen iteration of Halo off the ground for years, with Peter Jackson previously producing the feature film effort that Neill Blomkamp was poised to direct.  Things went sour when Blomkamp’s vision for the film didn’t jibe with Microsoft’s strict rules regarding how the franchise was to be handled, but it worked out alright with Blomkamp instead making his directorial debut with the stellar 2009 sci-fi pic District 9.

Now it appears that Microsoft will go it alone with regards to a narrative Halo effort, and they’ve got Steven Spielberg on their side.  Hit the jump for more.

This isn’t the first time that Spielberg’s name has been connected to the Halo property.  Rumors swirled back in 2011 that Spielberg would be producing the Halo movie at DreamWorks, but obviously that never came to pass.  It would appear that Spielberg and Microsoft have found a different avenue in which to explore a Halo adaptation, and 343 Industries is onboard to develop.  Here’s what Spielberg had to say about the TV show in a pre-recorded statement:

"The Halo universe is an amazing opportunity to be at that intersection where technology and myth-making meet to produce something truly groundbreaking."

Spielberg will act as executive producer of the series, but not much else is known at this point.  The filmmaker lends his name to a number of properties in executive producer capacity with varying degrees of involvement, so while he’ll certainly have creative input, I wouldn’t expect Spielberg to be intimately working on the Halo series.  Hopefully we hear more soon, but for now click here for our full recap of the Xbox One presentation.