Microsoft is working on a series of seven short anime films set in the Halo universe, entitled Halo Legends.

The LA Times reports the films will be produced by Japanese studios
Bones, Casio Entertainment, Production I.G, Studio4 C and Toei
Animation. Shinji Aramaki, director of Appleseed and Appleseed Ex
Machina, has been appointed as creative director on the project and
will direct one of the shorts, which will focus on the history of the
Spartans, himself.

"I liked that this would be an anthology of human stories told from different characters' perspectives," he said.

Microsoft will allow the studios creative freedom when it comes to the
visual style of the films but 343 Industries, the company's Halo
division, will approve storylines and help out with the details.
"Depending on the studio we did everything from writing the stories to
feeding them with characters and scenarios they could explore," said
Frank O'Connor, creative director at 343.

"I think the core Halo fans will recognise key moments from the
universe never shown in the game. They're moments where people wanted
more depth. That's where this fits."

The Halo Legends films will launch on Xbox Live this autumn. Microsoft
will then team up with Warner Bros for a release on DVD, Blu-ray and
"other digital platforms" in early 2010.