Halo TV series casts its Master Chief

Showtime’s upcoming Halo series has landed its Master Chief. Actor Pablo Schreiber, whose credits include American Gods, First Man, and Orange Is the New Black, will act in the starring role in Halo, Showtime announced on Wednesday.

Master Chief is, of course, the primary protagonist of Bungie and 343 Industries’ Halo franchise. The 26th-century warrior will battle the Covenant, the alliance of alien worlds that threatens our future civilization, in Showtime’s original series.

Schreiber, 41, an Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor, certainly has the height to fill Master Chief’s Spartan armor. He stands an impressive 6 feet, 5 inches tall — just fives inches short of Master Chief’s actual height, sans armor.

Joining Schreiber in Halo will be newcomer Yerin Ha as a new character created for the series. Ha, who hails from Sydney, will star as Quan Ah, described by Showtime as “a shrewd, audacious 16-year-old from the Outer Colonies who meets Master Chief at a fateful time for them both.”

Showtime is producing the series with 343 Industries and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television. Production is slated to being this fall in Budapest, Hungary.

Halo will be executive-produced by Kyle Killen (Awake, Lone Star) and Steven Kane (The Last Ship, The Closer), who will also serve as co-showrunners. Otto Bathurst (Black Mirror, Robin Hood) will direct the pilot and multiple episodes of the nine-episode series. Halo does not have a premiere date.