Summary
Long beforeThe Last of Us,Twisted Metal, andUncharted, a live-actionHaloproject was said to be in the works. The first murmurs of a live-actionHalomovie appeared all the way back in 2005 whenMicrosoft hired Alex Garlandto write a script to entice Hollywood studios to invest. But despite gaining talent like Neill Blomkamp, Guillermo del Toro, and Peter Jackson over the years, theHalomovie never happened, and aside from some short-lived web series, a live-actionHaloseemed fated to never come out, with even aHaloTV show with Steven Speilberg attached failing to make it to screens.
But after almost a decade of being passed around by various TV producers and studios, the live-actionHaloshow found a home with Paramount, and the first season released in March 2022. Unfortunately, for many fans,Paramount+‘sHalowasn’t worth the agonizingly long wait, with the show making some major changes from the source material, and having some bizarre character choices. But Paramount itself seemed happy withHalofrom the get-go, green-lighting a second season before the first even came out. Now, it’s only a month untilHaloSeason 2 begins, but from the look of the pre-release marketing, it seems as though Paramount might have learned from its mistakes.
What Paramount Seems to be Getting Right With Halo Season 2
Halo Season 2’s Poster Nails the Series’ Darker Tone
Haloisn’t usually an overly serious franchise, with most games in the series often having plenty of comedic relief via NPC dialogue. But, on the whole,Halois a series based around a fairly brutal war, and it has more than its fair share of harrowing, darker moments. And that’s exactly the tone thatHaloSeason 2’s poster seems to be going for.
Halo’s Season 2 poster depicts ahelmetless Master Chiefkneeling on the ground, surrounded by upturned Battle Rifles that have all been wedged into the volcanic rock at the Chief’s feet. Atop each Battle Rifle is a Marine’s helmet, signifying a soldier’s death. These Battle Rifles encompass the Chief, and run far into the misty background, giving the illusion that they continue for miles. This solemn tone is exacerbated by the Master Chief’s facial expression, which seems to be looking down, gravely reflecting on a pair of dog tags.
Based on the pre-release marketing, it seems as though the vast majority ofHaloSeason 2will revolve around the Fall of Reach, one of the most pivotal moments in the entireHalofranchise, and one that fans played through during the 2010 classicHalo Reach, Bungie’s last entry in the series. In the usualHalocontinuity, the Fall of Reach sees the Covenant attack the human planet of Reach with the might of its entire fleet, decimating the planet in the process and leaving the UNSC on the brink of extinction. The poster does a pretty great job of capturing this hopeless feeling.
Halo’s second season poster also has a tagline at the top that reads, “Rise From The Fall.” While this could just be a reference to the Fall of Reach and the Master Chief’s need to carry on fighting after it, it could also be a little tongue-in-cheek reference to the public reception ofHalo’s first season, implying a “rise” from its critical “fall” perhaps.
Halo Season 2’s Trailer Is Packed With Iconic Moments
This darker tone is made overtly apparent in the official trailer forHaloSeason 2, where some extremely dramatic imagery is shown, imagery that fans may already be well aware of. Many of the biggest moments inHaloSeason 2’s trailer parallel moments inHalo Reach, such as the UNSC being ambushed by the entire Covenant fleet, a lone Elite warrior with an Energy Sword taking down a whole room of Marines in the pitch-black darkness, and the Covenant using its ships to Glass the planet. Many fans were disappointed with the lack of core series imagery inHalo’s first season, so it seems likeHaloSeason 2 is trying its best to deliver much more.
