It’s barely been a day since the first episode of Halo became available for streaming on Paramount Plus, but the show’s main star, Pablo Schreiber, is already discussing what fans can expect from season two, currently undergoing pre-production at Amblin Television and 343 Industries.
In an interview with Deadline to celebrate the debut of the long-awaited live-action adaptation, the American Gods alum teased that the next run will offer a “very gritty” take on war, with new showrunner David Wiener (Fear the Walking Dead, Flesh and Bone, etc.) aiming for “grittiness” and “authenticity” above all else.
“He wants to make it a very gritty war story that is for our times,” Schreiber said. “The story already has such scale, it’s so epic and there are so many elements of hope involved in it. That level of authenticity and grittiness is really the key ingredient that, I think, brings it alive.”
While the Halo franchise isn’t particularly gory in its depiction of war when compared to other first-person shooter games, the story doesn’t sugarcoat anything when it comes to the brutality of the conflict between humans and the alien alliance known as the Covenant. And if Schreiber’s words are anything to go by, and they certainly are, the next season will depict that barbarity in earnest.
Halo has come out to mixed reviews from critics and some folks aren’t still sure how to feel about this adaptation, but according to Pablo Schreiber, the fan response has been overwhelming. All things considered, then, the show has done a good job of setting up the fictional sci-fi universe so far.
You can expect the next episode, “Unbound,” to premiere on March 31.