MUMBAI: Content Television, a division of Content Media, is set to launch a drama based on Microsoft?s ?Halo? franchise at Natpe 2013, debuting ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? to international buyers.

Produced by Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries, and recently garnering eight nominations at the upcoming Streamy Awards, including Best Writing, Best Drama Series and Best Cinematography, ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? is available as a 90-minute feature or five episode series for broadcast and online platforms.

Unveiled at San Diego?s Comic-Con in 2012, ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? was available for a limited time on Machinima Prime and Halo Waypoint as part of the lead up to the worldwide launch of the Halo 4 game in November 2012. Content Television has now secured worldwide distribution rights across broadcast, online, VOD and home entertainment platforms, with the exception of North America, where Content holds broadcast rights only.

Content Television and Digital executive VP Jonathan Ford said, "The ?Halo? franchise is a worldwide phenomenon with an ever growing fan base and Content Television?s distribution of its first live-action drama further cements our position as the go-to company for the latest, greatest multiplatform titles. With outstanding digital effects and strong character-driven drama, ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? offers exceptional viewing for TV, digital and home entertainment that will appeal to existing fans and those new to the ?Halo universe?. We?re expecting both the feature and series to be in great demand and look forward to showcasing it to our international clients at Natpe".

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a drama based on the best-selling ?Halo? franchise. Bringing a brand-new ?Halo? story to life on a scale never before seen, it delivers an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice; taking new and existing fans back to the beginning as a group of cadets train at the Corbulo Academy of Military Sciences to join the ongoing war with the outer colonial planets.

?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? focusses on character, emotion and high-stakes drama. The aim is to appeal to longtime fans of the hugely successful Halo franchise, as well as newcomers looking for a story and action-packed entertainment. It features a cast of established and up-and-coming Hollywood talent, a production team, specialised costumes and props from Legacy Effects, the company behind ?Avatar? and ?The Hunger Games? and digital effects designed by a team led by John Sullivan.

343 Industries franchise development director Frank O?Connor said, "Forward Unto Dawn was a labour of love for us, a way to introduce people to the ?Halo? universe while simultaneously putting a human face on an epic universe. We, along with a brand new audience of ?Halo? fans, were delighted with the process and the results of extending our franchise into a brand new realm".