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Legendary Pictures Secures the Rights for a Mass Effect Movie

by Alex Billington
May 24, 2010
Source: Deadline

Back in late 2008 we first reported that a feature adaptation of the very popular action sci-fi video game Mass Effect was in the works. At the time, it was being developed by former Marvel CEO Avi Arad, who had the options on the rights. However, Deadline is now reporting that Legendary Pictures (of The Dark Knight, Clash of the Titans, Watchmen, Jonah Hex) has announced a deal for the movie rights, meaning it'll be developed by them and distributed by Warner Bros (hell yes!). I Am Legend and Thor screenwriter Mark Protosevich is currently in talks to write the Mass Effect screenplay for Legendary. Now this is great news!

Developed by BioWare and initially released in late 2007 for the Xbox 360, Mass Effect is a futuristic sci-fi game that takes place in 2183 and follows Commander Shepard, a veteran soldier and the commander of the spaceship Normandy, as he leads a team on a mission to defeat an ancient alien race that invades the galaxy every 50,000 years, wiping out all organic life. I played the game and it's one of my all-time faves, not only because it's sci-fi, but because it has an expansive and beautiful universe with lots of characters and a great story. If you haven't played it, I suggest picking it up, as the sequel - Mass Effect 2 - is already out now, too.

Hearing that Legendary Pictures is adapting this is probably the best news I could ever hear. The production studio behind any/all of Christopher Nolan's movies is the one I want adapted an epic, space movie like this. Now they just need to find a director who can handle the scope and size of this project to go along with this great news (if only it were Christopher Nolan). This is one video game movie I can't wait to see! Thoughts?

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39 Comments

I bought this on Steam over the winter holiday for $5. I hated the first two hours or so (wandering around a city performing menial tasks is not the way to start a game...) and didn't play it for five months, but yesterday I picked it up again and, at six hours in, I'm loving it. That said, I wish they would wait until the trilogy is complete before developing films around it.

Mark on May 24, 2010

omg i cant wait for this. its going to be epic!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

n7 luigi on May 24, 2010

lets just hope Mark Vanderloo (who Commander Shepard is modeled after) can act. or get Matthew Fox...he's got time on his hands now, hell he already played a Shepard before. This could either be the next Star Wars or an absoulte debacle. Fingers crossed it won't go 3-D!!!!!!

Xerxex on May 24, 2010

This could bring hope for true quality in future games to film adaptations...

Wylles on May 24, 2010

Man the games are like 20 hours of important stuff each, not sure you can fit it all into a moive. At least they won't have trouble filling Shepard's shoes, seeing as he can be a she, or any race, with any backstory in the game. Good luck guy's don't eff this up, on another note the second game would make a much better movie... Seriously good luck I am a huge fan, I only play Mass Effect, other games are boring now. Favorite game, ever.

MrSammich on May 24, 2010

omg omg omg omg omg omg am i the only one that feels like a real nerd for mass effect.. sadly i only played mass effect 2 but im going to get mass effect 1 this weekend i seriously can't wait and i can't wait for E3 MASS EFFECT 3 IS GOING TO BE THERE :DDDDDDD.. that is all

chinochubby on May 24, 2010

I agree 100% that Matthew Fox should play Commander Shepard.

Gill on May 24, 2010

dear god please dont get mark vanderloo. lol. mathew fox would be a good choice

lego on May 24, 2010

I love Mass Effect, but the reason Mass effects story is so groundbreaking is because its personal to every person who plays it (FFS you can import your same character and decisions from the 1st game into the 2nd). The story itself is like any other sci fi flick, without the personal decision making of a videogame this is pointless. Bioware makes those type of games and they wont translate to screen well at all, not that any videogame movie ever has.....Im not getting my hopes again, chances are Hollywood is just going to fuck up another amazing videogame franchise on screen.

Cody w on May 24, 2010

Now this is something I would consider terrorist acts for if not done properly. One of the greatest rpgs out there and could be one of the greatest sci-fi films if done right. No pressure to the developers but I will honestly consider killing you if you mess this up!! lol

Lynch on May 24, 2010

Wow... This could be great. The first game's story could be a killer movie. The second game is more episodic. The overall story is too similar to the first (and to a lot of games), but all the little side missions that make the bulk of the game are fantastic. They've built these characters into people I'm afraid to disappoint. After 6 or so playthroughs of ME2 I still can't bring myself to stop Garrus from carrying out his assassination... @xerxex: I hope it's shot in 3D. I can actually enjoy that. Will the post production conversions ever end?

Prestron on May 24, 2010

well I hate 3 "Usless" D so lets agree to disagree, Preston.

Xerxex on May 24, 2010

@xerxex, The bulk of it is shit, but back to the point of this thead... Mass Effect!!!! Fuck yeah!!!

Prestron on May 24, 2010

Matt Fox just has the haircut and stubble action. It can be anyone that can convincingly portray a badass that is hero to literally an entire galaxy...so not Matt Fox. It was surprising to me how many people made custom Shepards, so not even all fans of the game are really that intimate with the default image of Shepard. Other than possibly Star Wars I think Mass Effect tells a way better story than any science fiction film or video game made previously to now, and if it does reach the silver screen I just hope it's powered by a great cast and director. I wouldn't mind seeing Neill Blomkamp take a stab at this one. I'd really like to see what he could do with a big budget and a great story.

Flops on May 24, 2010

Hell yeah Preston! Mass Effect FTW!!!

Xerxex on May 24, 2010

I must say this is the best movie news ive read all year. This is one of my top favorite games of all time and to have people compare it to star wars is amazing. I also think matt fox would ruin the film they need someone that has a almost military look to them. But other than that it should be an epic triligy that will be talked about for years if done right.

Spiffyman XD on May 25, 2010

The game was hugely overrated. It own both the first one and the sequel - I'm yet to finish either. They getting menial and boring really fast. As far as a movie adaptation is concerned - they should get Uwe Boll to direct. Isn't he the "go to guy" for vid-game adaptations?

The 13th Wang. on May 25, 2010

yes great news ^_^ can't wait my favorite too!

taylor on May 25, 2010

it would be sad if someone else other than Yvonne Strahovski gets to play Miranda (assuming they'll use elements from Mass Effect 2). i can see Matthew Fox as Commander Shepard, but his voice needs to be deeper.

GET TO DA CHOPPAAAAAA! on May 25, 2010

Why does anyone want to see this turned into a movie? They're just going to fuck it up.

Syphous on May 25, 2010

Legendary Pictures. Thats the key word here... those guys sure know how to look to a material and see the main, foundation pillars and work on it as they try to bring something to the screen... at least thats what i think. we have yet to see a major failure from this studio and just keep our fingers this one shant be their first. if done right it has the promise of being this generations Sci-Fi epic

Burak "D'aequitas" on May 25, 2010

The only way this movie will be good, is if they take the time to tell the story. Not try to condense everything into 90 mins. I think this would be a good 2.5 hour movie. This is one of my favorite video game series...I want this movie just as much as I want a Halo movie.

10ninjas on May 25, 2010

Mass Effect is still being produced by Avi Arad, along with his son, Ari Arad. He's been attached since September 2008 and it remains that way, even with Legendary Pictures coming aboard.

Scott on May 25, 2010

You guys realize that the only way a ME movie will be halfway decent is if it is computer animated. They were going to make a live action Halo movie, but they cancelled it because they realized it was a retarded idea.

Jove on May 25, 2010

Matthew Fox has to be commander shepard there is no if ans or buts

harrison on May 25, 2010

just because of the resemblance? Matthew Fox's style is nothing like commander shepard.

Jove on May 25, 2010

I would rather the movie have nothing to do with Shepherd. Mass Effect universe is so rich and expansive that they got plenty to draw good stories from.

Jesse on May 25, 2010

dont Legendary Pictures and WB also got the rights to Gears of War i want Legendary Pictures and WB to get Mortal Kombat aswell so we can get a R-Rated Mortal Kombat movie

tazz on May 25, 2010

Please god, don't let them cast the Rock or Sam Worthington as Shepherd. I think Matthew Fox would be a good choice. He could pull it off.

Zac on May 25, 2010

I hope its good. After playing the 2nd game I thought it would be impossible do a movie from a movie xD

dave on May 25, 2010

...i want half life movie with Edward Norton as Gordon Freeman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

splinter on May 25, 2010

OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS WILL BE THE BEST VIDEO GAME MOVIE SINCE....SINCE.....(THINKS 4 A SEC) SINCE MORTAL KOMBAT? MAYBE NOT BUT OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mathew Fox from LOST is John Shepard!!!!!!!

Lazarus from Sparta!!! DEATHKLOK RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on May 25, 2010

OKOKOKOKOK....Mass Effect 1 without any side mission and add on story elements. just the main plot "Find Saren, discover WTF the conduit is and get the Reapers off the galaxys's ass" Is about a 5 hrs story which in movie terms can be turned with a polished screen play into 2h30 -3hr movie... MASS EFFECT 2 is more episodic as I am told...as such could be 2h30 tops. You would need to spend time with the squad mates in that movie and respect their back story. It is possible. Just need a great screenplay that studios wont fuck up!

Lazarus from Sparta!!! DEATHKLOK RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on May 25, 2010

Great news! ...but I'd rather see this on television with a helluva production team picked up by a network that won't mind spending shitloads of money on this. The series Firefly comes to mind.

U.G.T.F.O. on May 25, 2010

make it like LOTR get a director who is not scared to go toe to toe with the studio and get a screenwriter who is willing to delve deep into the Mass Effect story and a cast that is willing to do the work!

Xerxex on May 25, 2010

Ok here's the one reason why I think it might be crap. How are they planning on casting garrus and wrex? If they are planning on going the District 9 route and making it all CG, the fine. But I have a nasty feeling that the might be retarded and either try to cast them with actors or just forget about them all together.

Jove on May 25, 2010

@Jove I'm worried about that as well Garrus, Saren, Wrex, and Tali are gonna be pretty hard to pull off but as long as a director who willing to go the distance is hired and we get a cast and screenwriter that really care then we don't have to worry about that...at least that is my hope. Besided if they were to not cast them then there would be no movie. Those characters are extremely important to the ME stroy. They could make the film about the First Contact War, that would be a better choice rather than the game's stroy line.

Xerxex on May 25, 2010

@Xerxex: I agree. A movie that chronicles the First Contact War would be a more suitable direction to go rather than try to mess with established characters. Besides, I personally think that there's no way to substitute those characters, especially with such iconic voice acting. A First Contact film would allow them to work within the ME universe, while providing something that the fans haven't seen before. It would also provide some backstory with characters such as Ashley, whose grandfather or whatever was a captain in one of the major battles.

Jove on May 25, 2010

@Jove fingers crossed that the film is a prequel and not an adaptation of the game!!!!!

Xerxex on May 25, 2010

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