The Halo universe will expand on February 15th 2010, with the arrival of seven brand new animated stories.Produced by 343 Industries and distributed by Warner Bros, Halo Legends is an unprecedented gathering of the finest talent in Japanese anime, telling seven new stories (including one two-parter) across one phenomenal movie available on DVD and limited edition Blu-Ray.
The Halo series of videogames has sold over 27 million copies across its various iterations, and up until recently holding the record for highest-grossing entertainment launch in history. Its success hasn't just been down to its sublime playability: the world itself is fully developed, with a rich and detailed history - something the release of Halo: Legends will confirm with its seven original stories.
Each episode is set in the 26th Century of the Halo universe. The eight chapters have each been mastered by a highly celebrated Japanese anime studio, each exploring the mystery and action of the Halo universe. A stunning range of visual styles shed new light and epic perspective on Halo lore
* Origins: Parts 1 and 2 (Studio 4°C, directed by Hideki Futamura): a two-part look at the history of the Halo universe.
* The Duel (Production I.G, produced by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and directed by Hiroshi Yamazaki, with creative supervision by Mamoru Oshii) follows an Arbiter named Fal who does not want to follow the Covenant religion. A rising star in the anime community, Director Hiroshi Yamazaki has developed a loyal following as he has grown his career from sound direction and storyboarding to a celebrated run as an episodic director of innovatively-blended visual action on the critically acclaimed hit CG anime series KARAS. Similarly, Production I.G has been responsible for numerous acclaimed feature films, television series and video games, including the cyberpunk classic Ghost in the Shell, Jin-Roh, The Wolf Brigade and parts of Batman Gotham Knight.
* Homecoming (Production I.G and directed by Koichi Mashimo and Koji Sawai): focussing on the tragedies involving the SPARTAN-II recruitment in 2517
* Odd One Out (Toei Animation company and directed by Daisuke Nishio): a parody story of Halo universe and canon.
* Prototype (Studio Bones, Directed by Tomoki Kyoda Yasushi Muraki, featuring production designs by Shinji Aramaki): a Marine is sent to a distant planet to destroy a prototype powered armour.
* The Babysitter (Studio 4°C, produced by Eiko Tanaka and directed by Toshiyuki Kanno): A squad of four Drop Ship Troopers is sent into a Covenant zone under the cover of a meteor shower to eliminate a Prophet. Director Toshiyuki Kanno Kanno has rapidly established himself as a force within the anime industry, building a reputation for directing stylish action anime in such productions as Black Lagoon, Fighting Spirit, Aquarian Age and Zone of the Enders. He also worked on special effects for Digimon: The Movie.
* The Package (Casio Entertainment, with Shinji Aramaki acting as Creative Director, and written by Dai Sato): a two-part all CGI-film taking place during a SPARTAN-II raid on a Covenant CCS-class Battlecruiser using the Booster Frames.
Halo Legends will be released in three formats: 1-disc DVD, 2-disc Special Edition DVD and limited edition Blu-Ray steel book. The 2-disc Special Edition contains several hours of incredible bonus features, including audio commentary with directors Frank O'Connor and Joseph Chou, "The Making of Halo Legends," and "Halo: Gaming Evolved" which explains the Halo phenomenon from its inception as an Xbox video game to a present day entertainment franchise. The Halo Legends Blu-Ray is loaded with bonus material, including all the great extras from the 2-disc Special Edition as well as "Halo: The Story so Far," an overview of the Halo universe up until the end of Halo 3.