PARAMOUNT+ have confirmed that one of their most high-budget shows has been given the axe after only two seasons.
Halo, which originally started life as a video game franchise, has officially been axed by the streaming service, with the creators releasing a statement sharing the news on Thursday evening.
The futuristic live-action series followed the story of humans in the 26th century, who are fighting for survival against powerful aliens known as the Covenant trying to take over the Earth.
Halo boasted an all-star cast led by Orange Is The New Black and American Gods star Pablo Schrieber as super soldier Master Chief John-117.
Launching in 2022 after eight years of development, Halo was praised for its multi-million dollar visuals but drew criticism from fans for deviating from the beloved source material, opting to follow its own timeline.
Paramount was so confident in the series it was renewed for season two before the first even aired.
READ MORE PARAMOUNT+
Unfortunately, it was confirmed today that season three will not be going forward with Paramount, with the network releasing a statement thanking those involved.
“We are extremely proud of this ambitious series and would like to thank our partners at Xbox, 343 Industries and Amblin Television, along with showrunner and executive producer David Wiener, his fellow executive producers, the entire cast led by Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief and the amazing crew for all their outstanding work.
“We wish everyone the best going forward.”
However, not all hope is lost, with Hollywood Reporter claiming production companies 343 Industries and Amblin Television, who make the show, are looking to shop the show elsewhere.
Most read in TV
A statement from 343 Industries read: “We deeply appreciate the millions of fans who propelled the Halo series to be a global success, and we remain committed to broadening the Halo universe in different ways in the future.
“We are grateful to Amblin and Paramount for their partnership in bringing our expansive sci-fi universe to viewers around the world.”
Halo has been a fan favourite since it launched on XBox back in 2001, with the franchise expanding to six video games.
However, attempts to move the show to the screen has proven more difficult than hoped, with projects including a movie falling short.
When the TV series finally started production in 2019, it was hit with further delays due to the Covid pandemic.