Ridley Scott-Produced Halo Series Is Called 'Halo Nightfall'

Today at Microsoft's annual E3 press conference there was no word about the Steven Spielberg-produced Halo series that is expected to premiere in 2015. But there was some brief info on the other series based on the Halo games, which counts Ridley Scott as a producer. That one is a smaller-budgeted "digital series" originally said to be similar to Halo: Forward Until Dawn. Now we know the title: Halo Nightfall.

The reference there seems to point squarely at the level from Halo: Reach, which featured a set of covert/stealth objectives.

All we know about this series is that Mike Colter (The Good Wife, The Following) will play "a surgically-enhanced super soldier," and one who is not Master Chief. Colter's character is named Marlowe, and he is "a rising star in a futuristic army who is troubled by aspects of the military industrial complex he inhabits. Approaching combat situations with caution and logic, he inspires loyalty in his fellow Spartans" as they engage in 26th century warfare.

Despite the fact that Master Chief is not the star, the series will be available as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which will be released for the Xbox One on November 11. The series will likely stream in weekly installments prior to that release. (The Master Chief Collection will feature Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4 along with more than 100 multiplayer maps and updated graphics for Halo 2.)

Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, best-known as a TV director who has also worked many times as Steven Spielberg's first assistant director, is directing the project. Paul Scheuring (Prison Break) wrote the digital feature. 343 Industries, Xbox Entertainment Studios and Scott Free Productions are backing this particular incarnation of Halo, and Ridley Scott and Scott Free TV president David Zucker are exec producers.

Meanwhile, all we know about Spielberg's series comes from Bonnie Ross of 343 Industries. She recently said that the series "will stand alone, as well as complement and enrich the game experience." [The Verge]