Highlights
- Sony may acquire Paramount, potentially impacting the Halo TV series, which airs on Paramount+.
- The Halo TV series premiered on Paramount+ in 2022, creating a new storyline that divided longtime fans.
- Sony’s potential acquisition of Paramount could also affect the Sonic the Hedgehog series and other adaptations.
Sony might be looking to acquire fellow media juggernaut Paramount, and this could affect the Halo live-action TV series. Halo isn’t typically associated with Sony due to the former being a flagship property of Microsoft’s Xbox gaming brand and the latter being the parent company for Xbox’s primary rival PlayStation, so such a development would certainly be a twist. For the past two decades, Halo has been one of gaming’s most seminal FPS franchises, spawning not only six mainline entries but an assortment of spin-off games and tie-in media.
This would eventually lead to a live-action Halo TV series, which finally premiered on Paramount+ in early 2022 after a long and difficult production cycle. Featuring Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, the series takes place in an alternate timeline from the main Halo games and explores the Chief’s role in the growing war between the United Nations Space Command and the Covenant. Longtime Halo fans were left divided over the show’s different take on the Halo series lore, but a second season was released on Paramount+ earlier this year.
Halo Infinite is Proof the Franchise Has Outgrown What It Was Once Known For
Halo Infinite proves that the Halo franchise has grown beyond where it all began as one of the longest-running Xbox exclusives.
A third Halo season hasn’t been greenlit yet, but there could be a major change-up to its parent company by the time it is. The New York Times recently reported that Sony Pictures Entertainment and an investment firm called Apollo Global Management are currently in talks to form a joint bid to acquire Paramount Pictures, at least according to a pair of sources familiar with the situation. Previously, Apollo attempted to purchase Paramount by itself for at least $26 billion, but this offer was rejected.
Sony Could End Up Owning Halo and Sonic Adaptations
So far, any attempts to acquire Paramount have run into complications thanks to a previous partnership with Skydance Media, who is currently working alongside Paramount to produce the next GI Joe and Star Trek films as well as a live-action Rainbow Six adaptation. According to inside sources, Skydance is currently discussing its own exclusive deal with Paramount, meaning that an official offer from Sony and Apollo to purchase the latter can not be made at the moment.
Sony and Apollo’s reported plans to acquire Paramount coudl impact the live-action adaptaions of some video game properties outiside of the PlayStation umbrella. Paramount currently owns the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog series, including the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie and Knuckles series. More ironically, the ongoing Halo television series would also be affected by the deal, but it is worth noting that such a landmark acquisition is still reportedly in the planning phases and could just as well fall through completely in the future.
Halo
- Release Date
- March 24, 2022
- Cast
- Pablo Schreiber , Jen Taylor , Bokeem Woodbine , Natascha McElhone , Olive Gray , Shabana Azmi , Natasha Culzac , Yerin Ha , Charlie Murphy
- Seasons
- 2
- Based On
- Halo by Xbox Game Studios
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount+
- Showrunner
- Kyle Killen , Steven Kane
