By Ryan Flaherty

Gary Levine and Jana Winograde answered questions concerning a TV adaptation of the Halo video game, Gal Gadot’s new limited series, and where they stand with the streaming war.

New Shows

A TV adaptation of popular video game ‘Halo’ has been ordered. The cast was announced at the TCA’s, and will include Natascha McElhone, Bokeem Woodbine, Pablo Schreiber, Shabana Azmi, Bentley Kalu, Natasha Culzac, and Kate Kennedy. Production will begin this year in Budapest and the show is expected to premiere in 2021.

Gal Gadot is set to star in and executive a limited series about the life and career of actress/inventor Hedy Lamar.  Co-president of Entertainment Jana Winograde says “The life of Hedy Lamarr was a truly fascinating one. She stood at the forefront of many issues that challenge women and our society today. In Gal Gadot, we have found the transcendent actress to portray the deeply complex Lamarr.” Warren Littlefield and Sarah Treem are set to executive produce the series. 

Homeland

The final season has been delayed to 2020, with a new premiere date of February 9. Co-president of Entertainment Gary Levine says, “It just takes time. There have been no missteps here; it’s been a relatively smooth process but a very ambitious production schedule that has taken more time than we thought it would. One of the things that we do at Showtime [is a strategy that] we’d rather have it good than fast.”

The Streaming War

Levine says they believe in their ability to compete in a constantly changing landscape, calling Showtime ‘an island of stability’ for both viewers and talent. He said in a clear dig at Netflix and other services, “We don’t just dump a show, send an email and hope it connects. We let conversation build over months with new episodes.”