Close to two decades after its debut, the massively popular video game "Halo" is at long last set to be adapted into a television series.

Showtime announced on Thursday that it had ordered 10 episodes of a live-action "Halo" series, with Kyle Killen ("Awake," "Lone Star") serving as executive producer, and Rupert Wyatt ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes") directing multiple installments, as well as producing. Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television will also produce.

The adaptation was first announced by Showtime way back in 2014, and according to the premium cable outlet, there's a reason why it took so long to develop the show.

"'Halo' is our most ambitious series ever, and we expect audiences who have been anticipating it for years to be thoroughly rewarded," said Showtime CEO David Nevins in a statement.

He continued:

"In the history of television, there simply has never been enough great science fiction. Kyle Killen's scripts are thrilling, expansive and provocative, Rupert Wyatt is a wonderful, world-building director, and their vision of 'Halo' will enthrall fans of the game while also drawing the uninitiated into a world of complex characters that populate this unique universe."

Here's a breakdown of the series, via The Hollywood Reporter:

The Showtime series will take place in the same universe that first bowed in 2001 and will dramatize an epic 26th century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. Halo will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future, Showtime said.

According to THR, Showtime's initial plan back in 2014 was to air the series first on the premium cable channel, before debuting episodes on Xbox consoles. It's currently unknown if that will still happen.

Production on "Halo" is expected to start sometime in early 2019. Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

[via: The Hollywood Reporter]