Skip to main content

Paramount Plus ‘Halo’ Trailer Promises An Epic Resistance

Desert tan and military brown reflect off of Spartan green in the soaring panoramic shots and in-depth closeups that pop in the first-look Halo trailer.

Halo The Series (2022) | First Look Trailer | Paramount+

Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, the Halo series began as a 2001 flagship video game franchise for Microsoft’s Xbox. Halo’s mix of military-style shoot ‘em up style with a sci-fi foundation has helped the entire line sell more than 81 million copies. The narrative follows Master Chief John-117, one of a few surviving super soldiers code-named Spartans. Together with Cortana, his artificial intelligence companion, these warriors represent a last stand against the Covenant’s genocidal goals.

Recommended Videos

If anything, Paramount Plus’ Halo trailer reveals that the series will embrace its namesake video game’s dramatic vision of the future. Sprawling military installations built into rock bring echoes of Bladerunner inside The Matrix. Spaceships and dull silver bases give off a sense of military might before flipping back to reveal the faces of the soldiers protecting the Halo array. It’s clear that showrunners are focused on interweaving interpersonal stories into the story’s action and adventure. And the first look clearly brings the action.

Related Guides

Soaring piano strings and a chanted chorus overlay a disembodied, gentle British woman’s voice urging on a protagonist.

“You’re special. In fact, I’m counting on it. We’re lost in the dark, but you give people hope and I will always be with you. I see this as a new beginning,” she says.

It’s likely that the unnamed narrator is urging on Master Chief Spartan John-117, who is being played by John Schreiber. With a multibillion-dollar franchise behind it and 20 years of plot lines, it’s fair to say that the success of the show, like so many alike predecessors, will depend on the development and connection with its supporting cast.

An image from 'Halo,' the sci-fi series coming from Paramount Plus in 2022.
Paramount Plus/YouTube

Natasha McElhone, whose voice likely carries the trailer, plays the brilliant Dr. Halsey, the conflicted yet opaque creator of the Spartan super soldiers. Jen Taylor appears as Cortana, the advanced A.I. who is John-117’s right-hand humanoid, and possibly the lever upon which the race’s survival swings.

Though little is known about Halo’s plot details, the show’s pandemic survival and studio change all suggest a film that’s already made it through a battle intact and, in fact, better for it. Showtime had filmed over half of its first season when COVID-19 restrictions shut down shooting in March 2020. A bit less than a year later, official news broke that the Paramount Plus would now air Halo with Showtime remaining as a producer. Turns out the streaming platform had already been eyeing the show for months.
Alongside the trailer, Paramount announced that Halo will arrive in “early 2022” with a three-tier streaming strategy — free ad-supported, broad-pay, and premium-pay.

Read More: Nike and Adidas Make Forays Into the Metaverse With New Virtual Spaces

Matthew Denis
Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…
8 shows like You that are just as addictive and twisted
You may be over, but there are plenty of other murder dramas right around the corner
Penn Badgley looking ominous as Joe Goldberg

After five seasons of twists, murders, and weird obsessions, Joe Goldberg's story on Netflix's You has come to a close. The crime drama has been a staple on the streamer with its mix of great characters and binge-worthy mystery that makes it feel like the best parts of a true crime documentary you'd watch on Oxygen on a rainy Saturday afternoon while you're sick. While it might not have been the best show on Netflix, You was a great way to get sucked into a different world with interesting storylines for several hours each season.

If you're already missing the soapy, addictive drama of You, we have plenty of similar shows for you to watch next. They range from Emmy-worthy Golden Age dramas to junk-food style crime mysteries that follow parallel themes and arcs to the Netflix hit. These are the shows like You to watch next.

Read more
10 cigar myths the internet won’t let die
The cigar 'facts' shared in every lounge that are actually complete BS
two men enjoying cigars

The internet has been such an asset to the cigar world. It allows us to look up obscure brands, communicate with fellow fans across the globe, and access a greater amount of information than ever before. There's a downside, though: rumors catch on like wildfire, and once they're out there, they're nearly impossible to get rid of.Visit any cigar lounge or read online forums, and you'll find the same tired myths that have been making the rounds for decades. While a few are harmless pieces of folklore, others are robbing you of your hard-earned cash, ruining your smoking experience, or just flat-out lying to you about health hazards.Let's burn down those stubborn misconceptions once and for all.

Myth #1: Darker (Maduro) cigars are always more powerful

Read more
Cigar etiquette 101: Dos, don’ts, and modern manners
Please don't be that guy. Here are the cigar etiquette mistakes that scream 'amateur'
well-dressed guy smoking on a couch in the dark

Walking into a cigar lounge for the first time feels like crashing somebody's secret club. They've got this unspoken language, weird rituals, and enough unwritten rules to make your head spin! But here’s the thing—cigar etiquette is not some gatekeeping nonsense to try to make you look dumb. It's about respecting the process, the experience, and not being the person who ruins everyone else's vibe.Whether you're new to this or have been faking for years, this guide will sort you out because there's nothing more likely to ruin a good smoke than someone who clearly has no idea what they're doing.

The basics: Respecting the ritual

Read more