‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ Trailer Drops at Comic-Con

If you’re shivering with anticipation to see the star-studded cast of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn in action and can’t wait for the October 5, 2012 premiere of the original web series that may very well be a tipping point for the online video entertainment industry, you’re in luck.

The good people at Machinima Prime, Microsoft’s 343 Industries (which is an internal division of Microsoft that functions as a “steward” of the Halo franchise), and Forward Unto Dawn’s Executive Producers Lydia Antonini and Josh Feldman (formerly of Warner Bros. and Playtone executives, respectively) dropped a full-length trailer this week at San Diego’s International Comic-Con. Give it at watch:

For those in the audience that aren’t yet familiar with Halo mythology or video games, the five-part online original series is meant to be a prequel to the action that will take place in the next/fourth title to be released in the Halo franchise. Here’s a primer on what to expect from Microsoft:

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn tells an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice on a scale never before seen in the Halo universe, taking fans back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war and leading into the events of Halo 4.

Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, a group of highborn cadets are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets. Among these cadets, Thomas Lasky struggles with his doubts about this war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down.

Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero. Halo fans who experience Lasky’s thrilling origin story in Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn will be rewarded with special insights into the story of Halo 4 and the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer” experience.

And if the trailer looks to be laden with a healthy amount of human interaction in addition to all the expected explosions and scenes of futuristic warfare, that’s because the series will explore human relationships heretofore absent from the video game franchise.

“Hopefully people don’t turn away because there is this level of drama in it,” said Australian actor Tom Green (who plays the main character Thomas Lasky) in an interview with The Verge. “The Halo games are known for not having a complex storyline with characters who have these relationships with other humans. We don’t get to see faces because they’re all covered with helmets. This is a bit different – it might be a bit confronting at first – but hopefully people will settle into it.”

The action and drama begins on Machinima Prime’s YouTube channel in early October. Be sure to tune in.