How do you guarantee that fans are invested in a series even before it launches? Well, one way to do it is by renewing the show for a second season ahead of its premiere. Paramount Plus' Halo isn't going to be here until March 24, but Paramount already believes in its potential so much so that it's picked it up for double the episodes.
Paramount confirmed the news in a press release, stating that David Wiener will be the showrunner and executive producer of Halo's second season. In the same investor event, ViacomCBS explained that it will rebrand as Paramount to focus more on streaming. By announcing the renewal this early, Showtime Networks CEO David Nevins explains that it is a reflection of the network's confidence "in the power of this epic series to attract and engage viewers."
Interestingly enough, the pick-up comes on the heels of a potentially massive lawsuit from Halo's original composers. According to Marty O'Donnel, the composers can effectively stop the show from ever airing by filing an injunction. But, with the renewal, it appears that 343 Industries, Paramount, and Microsoft, aren't concerned at all.
Fans have been asking for something like Paramount Plus' Halo for years. Now that it's here, it will be interesting to see how a live-action adaptation of Halo will do. If nothing else, announcing a season two renewal early will give skeptical viewers a reason to stick around for the long-term. After all, it wasn't too long ago that fellow streaming giant, Netflix, decided to cancel Cowboy Bebop right after its first season aired.
Ultimately, Halo should at least draw in a huge crowd when it finally premieres. Halo is Microsoft's largest and most popular gaming property by a long shot. Although Call of Duty might give it a good run for the money after the tech giant's acquisition of Activision Blizzard pushes through next year, Halo will forever be intertwined with the Xbox brand. Purely because of this, fans will watch the Halo TV series in March.
Now, it's up to the show to prove itself worthy of the commitment from hardcore Halo fans who have supported the franchise for over a decade.
In other Halo news, Halo Infinite has been bleeding players since it hit the market in late 2021. For what it's worth, 343 remains committed to supporting Halo Infinite by listening to player feedback, as evidenced by the upcoming mid-season rank reset to help balance the shooter's competitive matchmaking system.
