Rupert Wyatt, who was attached to Showtime's Halo adaptation as a director and executive producer, has announced he is stepping away from the series, Variety reports. According to Wyatt and Showtime's President of Programming Gary Levine, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes director's departure comes down to a scheduling conflict.
From Wyatt:
It's with great disappointment that changes to the production schedule of 'Halo' prevent me from continuing in my role as a director on the series. My time on 'Halo' has been a creatively rich and rewarding experience with a phenomenal team of people. I now join the legion of fans out there, excited to see the finished series and wishing everyone involved the very best.
Levine puts the conflict down to the "enormous" production demands of the series, which have caused the Showtime to add time to the schedule "in order to do it right." However, it seems those demands may also portend further issues for the series. Slash Film reports that the budget for the show has "spiraled out of control as the series' scope has expanded."
Wyatt's departure comes after the Halo series was officially announced in June. Kyle Killen, known best as the creator of Lone Star, is attached as the showrunner. Showtime is aiming to air the series in 2020, and the franchise's iconic hero, Master Chief, will play a lead role.
