It's time to lock and load your assault rifle, Spartan, as the Halo TV show's official trailer will be released this weekend.
Like an ODST from the iconic video game series, the Halo TV series' full trailer will drop on Sunday, January 30. Given that an official release date hasn't been revealed yet, we're hoping to learn when the action sci-fi show will launch, too.
Announced on various social media channels, including the Halo TV series' official Twitter account, the show's trailer will be shown during the halftime interval of Sunday's AFC Championship Game. US fans tuning in for the trailer's debut, then, will have to switch over to Paramount Plus or CBS.
Suit up Spartans, the wait is almost over. The official trailer for #HaloTheSeries lands this Sunday during halftime of the AFC Championship Game on @CBS and @ParamountPlus. pic.twitter.com/fRzZ1Ml6cDJanuary 25, 2022
It's unclear if UK, Indian, Australian or other international Halo fans will be able to catch the trailer on TV at a similar time. However, we'd expect the show's latest teaser to launch on YouTube immediately after its TV debut, so Halo fans should see it one way or another.
According to a Deadline report in February 2021, the Halo TV series is set to premiere sometime in Q1 2022. If that release window hasn't changed, it may mean that the TV adaptation of the FPS franchise will be with us by April 1, 2022.
Set during the Human-Covenant War in the 26th Century, the Halo TV show will follow John-117/Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and AI partner Cortana (Jen Taylor) as they look to put an end to the universal alien threat. However, it won't be canon to the game series. Instead, the Halo TV series will be set in the franchise's "Silver Timeline", according to 343 Industries' Head of Transmedia Kiki Wolfkill (per Halopedia).
Developed by Paramount Television and Amblin Television, in association with 343 Industries – the Halo gaming series' current developer – the Halo TV show will launch exclusively on Paramount Plus in the US.
Analysis: where can non-US fans watch the Halo TV show?
Right now, there's no official confirmation on where non-US Halo fans will be able to watch the TV adaptation. Given that Paramount Plus is only currently available in the US, Latin America, and Scandanavia, most of Halo's global fanbase has been concerned that the show won't be distributed to most international markets.
Halo diehards, though, shouldn't worry about the prospect of the TV show not launching in their nations. In February 2021, Wolfkill said that "no Spartan will be left behind" when asked if the TV series would launch in the UK (and, by proxy, international markets)
No details to share but don't you worry... no Spartan left behind! 💚February 25, 2021
So when could the Halo TV show come to UK, Indian, Australian and other nations' shores? And where will it be available to watch?
Well, according to the Midgard Times, an Indian publication, the 10-episode TV series will premiere on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in different territories.
While this claim should be taken with a pinch of salt for the time being, it would make sense from a distribution perspective. Currently, UK, Indian and Australian Prime Video subscribers have access to numerous movies and TV shows that are exclusive to Paramount Plus. This includes most (if not all) Star Trek films and TV series, iCarly, Rugrats and The Twilight Zone. Other Paramount Plus exclusive, such as RuPaul's Drag Race, are also available to stream on Netflix UK, too.
It's more likely, though, that the Halo TV show will launch in international markets on Paramount Plus itself. The streaming platform is already available in Australia, while The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that the service will launch in the UK – in partnership with Sky – sometime in 2022. Unfortunately, there's no planned release date for India at the time of writing.
For UK and Australian fans at least, then, we suspect that the Halo TV show will launch exclusively on Paramount Plus. The streaming platform needs a big hitter to attract new subscribers to compete with Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and more. So it's in its best interests to keep its original programs in-house to entice new users to sign up, especially if Paramount Plus launches in the UK and mainland Europe in time for the TV adaptation's release.
Expect the Halo TV series to be distributed by the likes of Prime Video in India and other nations that don't have a confirmed Paramount Plus release date or window. However, for Australian, British, and other major European nations, we'd be surprised if it doesn't launch on Paramount Plus.
