More home video news today as CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Pictures confirm plans to release the debut season of Halo in the UK this November. The series arrived back in June with the UK debut of the Paramount+ streaming service and we were lucky enough to sit down with the cast to discuss bringing the games to life.
The series will come to Digital, DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UDH and SteelBook on November 14. But before we dive in to the official press release, here’s a look at the season one trailer:
BASED ON THE ICONIC XBOX® GAME FRANCHISE
HALO
SEASON ONE
The Showtime-Produced Epic Series Arrives on Digital, DVD, Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD™ and Limited-Edition 4K Ultra HD™ SteelBook® on November 14.
Featuring More Than Five Hours of Behind-the-Scenes Special Features Including 75 Minutes of Exclusive Content
“Halo appears to have the firepower to become its own uniquely formidable sci-fi titan.” – The Daily Beast
“A fun ride.” – Paste
“A compelling, gorgeous sci-fi adventure.” – Comic Book Resources
A live-action adaptation of Xbox’s most successful franchise, HALO: SEASON ONEarrives on Digital, DVD, Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD™ and limited-edition 4K Ultra HD™ SteelBook® on November 14, from SHOWTIME®, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. The action-packed five-disc collection features all nine episodes and over five hours of behind-the-scenes special features, including 75 minutes of exclusive content that takes viewers beyond the screen, providing a deeper look into the world of HALO. Plus, the 4K Ultra HD™ and limited-edition 4K Ultra HD™ SteelBook® include collectible art cards of Kwan Ha, Dr. Halsey, Soren, Master Chief, Vannak, Riz and Kai.
HALO: SEASON ONE takes place in the universe that first came to be in 2001 through the launch of Xbox’s first “Halo” videogame. After years of human civil war and growing political unrest, mankind’s very future is threatened when our outermost colonies intrude upon the sacred worlds of an alien threat known as the Covenant. As this fanatical powerful alliance destroys world after human world, only one soldier slows their advance – a cybernetically enhanced “Spartan” supersoldier, the Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber, “American Gods” and “Orange is the New Black”). As the mystery of the Covenant’s true ambitions are revealed, the Master Chief must find a way to save humanity from the alien threat while also coming to terms with the secrets of his own enigmatic past.
The series stars Schreiber as the Master Chief or Spartan-117; Natascha McElhone (“Californication”) as Dr. Halsey, the brilliant, conflicted and inscrutable creator of the Spartan super soldiers; and Jen Taylor (“Halo” game series, RWBY) as Cortana, the most advanced AI in human history and potentially the key to the survival of the human race. Additional stars include Bokeem Woodbine (“Fargo”), Shabana Azmi (Fire), Natasha Culzac (“The Witcher”), Olive Gray (“Half Moon Investigations”), Yerin Ha (“Reef Break”), Bentley Kalu (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Kate Kennedy (“Catastrophe”), Charlie Murphy (“Peaky Blinders”) and Danny Sapani (“Penny Dreadful”).
With over five hours of special features, the epic Digital*, DVD, Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD™ and limited-edition 4K Ultra HD™ SteelBook® collections include:
- Dissecting the Battle of Madrigal – The Halo crew takes you behind the scenes to dissect one of the most important moments of the show, the Battle of Madrigal.
- Becoming Spartans – Our larger-than-life heroes introduce one another and share their thoughts on the process of becoming Spartans. Master Chief, Kai, Riz, Vannak and Soren recollect their memories from training and early bootcamp to the epic result we see on screen. Showrunner Steven Kane and director Otto Bathurst join the Spartan team to reveal the challenges and joy of creating near-perfect superhumans encountering imperfectly human emotions for the very first time.
- Creating the Costumes of Halo – Costume designer Giovanni Lipari brings insight into the creation of the 5 different worlds shown in HALO: SEASON ONE. Giovanni shares not only the process of creating the costumes and styles for each of the planets, but provides background and history for the different groups and their connection to one another.
- Weapons and Vehicles of Halo – Master Chief’s assault rifle or the sound of a warthog? Two emblematic tools of the Halo universe. Property Master Andrew Orlando leads us through the steps of the realization of Covenant and Spartan weapons from initial design to final construction. Sophie Becher, Production Designer, joins in to share details about the newly invented spaceships of this one-of-a-kind universe. There is no Halo without the sound and look of warthogs, and Picture Vehicle Coordinator Parádi Sándor Jr. joins to tell us how it and other Halo vehicles were conceived.
- The World of Halo – Join us for an inside conversation with Executive Producer Kiki Wolfkill, Director Otto Bathurst, Showrunner Steven Kane, Pablo Schreiber and other cast members as they break down how the story and characters of this sci-fi epic game were brought to the screen.
- Adapting Halo – The Halo production teams give viewers an inside look at how visual effects, artful direction, and purposeful set design were used to create the show’s other worldly look and feel. They share how each setting is unique and immersive, and built on a massive scale.
- The Culture of The Covenant – Take an exclusive tour alongside remarkable talent, visual effects artists and production teams who show us how they brought to life the setting and aliens that make up The Covenant.
- The Lake of Eternal Life: A Song from Halo’s Score – A behind-the-scenes look at the studio recording of the funeral song, “The Lake of Eternal Life” sung by Jaram Lee.
- The Making of Cortana – Actress Jen Taylor discusses her character’s emotional journey throughout the series and reveals how the filmmakers brought Cortana to life on screen.
- Halo The Series: Declassified 101 – 109
- 101 – In this premiere episode of Halo the Series: Declassified, Sydnee is joined by the Master Chief himself, Pablo Schreiber, Master Chief’s highly advanced A.I., Cortana, and AEW professional wrestler Adam Cole.
- 102 – Host Sydnee Goodman takes viewers behind the scenes of Episode 2 (“Unbound”) with actor Bokeem Woodbine, Director Otto Bathurst, as well as some lucky fans who got to attend the red-carpet premiere of Halo the Series.
- 103 – We dive into Episode 3, “Emergence.” Here, host Sydnee Goodman talks with star Charlie Murphy (Makee). Plus, see how the show built one of its most impressive sets and meet some of the most passionate Halo fans in the world.
- 104 – Host Sydnee Goodman welcomes Cortana herself, Jen Taylor! They discuss Jen’s longtime role as Master Chief’s fan-favorite A.I and how bringing the character to life on TV brought new challenges. Plus, get a lesson in the Covenant language of Sangheili from the linguists who created it. Then, passionate Halo fans explain what Master Chief means to them. Finally, get a special look behind the scenes of the incredible visual effects of Halo the Series, including how the talented artists brought Cortana to live action.
- 105 – In this installment of Halo the Series: Declassified, host Sydnee Goodman talks with Kate Kennedy (Kai-125). Plus, behind the scenes of the stunts and weapons of Halo the Series and a look at the world’s largest Halo collection.
- 106 – Host Sydnee Goodman is joined by Natascha McElhone (Dr. Halsey) to explore the complicated nature of Halsey’s work with the Spartans. Plus, we visit Spartan bootcamp, talk with composer Sean Callery, and more.
- 107 – Host Sydnee Goodman chats with actress Yerin Ha (Kwan Ha) about her character’s journey from average kid to freedom fighter. Plus, enjoy a visit from actor Wil Wheaton, a closer look at iconic Halovehicles, and plenty of Easter eggs.
- 108 – In this installment of Halo the Series: Declassified, host Sydnee Goodman welcomes star Olive Gray (Dr. Miranda Keyes) to discuss their approach to a character that has complicated relationships with everyone around her. Plus, behind the scenes with Director Jonathan Liebesman, a cosplay tutorial, and more.
- 109 – On the finale installment of Halo the Series: Declassified, host Sydnee Goodman welcomes Executive Producer Kiki Wolfkill and Executive Producer/Showrunner Steven Kane to dive deep into all the big events, so far. Plus, enjoy a thank you from the cast and crew and an enlightening discussion about reflecting the real world in sci-fi.
HALO: SEASON ONE is produced by SHOWTIME® in partnership with 343 Industries, along with Amblin Television. HALO is executive produced by Steven Kane, alongside Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey for Amblin Television in partnership with 343 Industries, director Otto Bathurst and Toby Leslie for One Big Picture, and Kyle Killen and Scott Pennington for Chapter Eleven. Kiki Wolfkill, Frank O’Connor and Bonnie Ross serve as executive producers for 343 Industries. The series is distributed internationally by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.
Episodes:
- Episode 101: “Contact”
- Episode 102: “Unbound”
- Episode 103: “Emergence”
- Episode 104: “Homecoming”
- Episode 105: “Reckoning”
- Episode 106: “Solace”
- Episode 107: “Inheritance”
- Episode 108: “Allegiance”
- Episode 109: “Transcendence”
The HALO: SEASON ONE DVD is presented in a widescreen format, the Blu-ray™ in 1080p High Definition, and the 4K Ultra HD™ and 4K Ultra HD™ SteelBook® in 4K Ultra High-Definition™. The DVD offers English 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio, while the Blu-ray™ offers English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, and the 4K Ultra HD™ and 4K Ultra HD™ SteelBook® outputs English Dolby Atmos Audio. All formats include English SDH subtitles.
