Mass Effect film

The fictional Mass Effect trilogy is nearing its conclusion with the upcoming third installment, and once that wraps up, the movies are next on the agenda. The whole thing is practically set in stone, moving into the phase where the script is being adapted for the big screen.

Mass Effect 1 first hit the market back in 2007, and even though it was an outstanding title, I suppose very few people predicted the blindingly successful future it would enjoy leading up to the anticipation for the third part. The second entry introduced quite a few positive changes, launching on all three major platforms and gaining dizzying popularity, even if the Mass Effect series is increasingly losing its roots as an action RPG and morphing into a pure third-person shooter.

Then again, you have this massive, complex universe that wasn't lifted from anyone else, along with a huge collection of fantastic characters and locations... It’s perfect material for the silver screen. Since the third part is slated to arrive early next year, effectively closing out the trilogy, BioWare has struck a deal with Legendary Pictures and, with the help of Mark Protosevich, has begun adapting the screenplay for a film. He has worked on scripts for titles such as I Am Legend and Thor, among others.

Mark Protosevich and Casey Hudson from BioWare are scheduled to make a joint appearance at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego, where they will discuss the plans specifically regarding the film.
As part of the current Comic Con taking place in San Diego, the team from BioWare and screenwriter Mark Protosevich held a conference regarding the Mass Effect film, which is now being taken much more seriously.

Even back at this year's E3 BioWare spoke about their ambitions for the Mass Effect film, and they aren't modest by any means. Obviously, they succeeded in creating a massive and intricate world, so it would be desirable for the film adaptation to be worthy of the Mass Effect name. Back then, the screenwriting process had already commenced under Mark Protosevich, who appeared on stage at the current Comic-Con and stated that Mass Effect awaits a much brighter fate than other video game film adaptations because Mass Effect goes much deeper than mere visual spectacle, unlike most games.

While we might not entirely agree with this somewhat trivializing statement regarding the games, I think it is clear what Protosevich is trying to say. After all, one only needs to spend a free weekend binge-watching the entire filmography of Uwe Boll to understand exactly what he means.

"With the first wave of video game film adaptations, the idea driving producers was simply to port the game over to film without much debate over whether the script actually held weight. Does it also possess an interesting concept, a compelling philosophy, or a meaningful theme? I suspect most games fail that test, but not Mass Effect," Protosevich said confidently.

The film's release is expected sometime during 2012.

Scott Campbell61 said:It’s basically perfect material for the big screen. Since the third installment is dropping early next year to wrap up the trilogy, BioWare has teamed up with Legendary Pictures to get a film adaptation moving, with Mark Protosevich at the helm. He’s the guy who worked on scripts for things like I Am Legend and Thor.

I just really hope he doesn't do too good of a job like he did with I Am Legend. 😁

Matthew Anderson said:I just hope they don't do a job as "great" as they did with I Am Legend. 😁

Or Thor...

Yeey, I wonder if there's a series coming too?

Matthew Anderson said:I just hope they don't do a "great" job like they did with I Am Legend. 😁

brightpuma said:Or Thor...

Lol, at this rate, we probably won't see a decent movie anytime soon. 😁

The story in the game itself is freaking intense, but that's because you’re getting about 30 hours of content. I honestly don't see how they expect to cram all of that into a two-hour movie—trying to maintain that same level of depth, the backstory for every single character and race, the history of the war, and the actual consequences of the main character's choices... I just highly doubt it'll work.

It won't follow the game's storyline; instead, it'll center on the First Contact War.

casualranger10 said:The game's story is intense enough on its own because it spans about 30 hours. How on earth do they plan to cram all that into a two-hour runtime while maintaining the same depth? Character backstories, racial dynamics, the history of the wars, the fallout from the protagonist's choices—I find it highly doubtful...

My apologies, but the story doesn't actually last 30 hours, especially once you strip away all the trivial side quests.

You can easily squeeze the core plot into one or two three-hour movies. Honestly, if the film followed the game beat-for-beat, it would be a mediocre movie. The plot itself isn't groundbreaking; it’s quite direct without much character development or major twists. (For instance, finding out the Reapers are behind everything instead of just a rogue Spectre isn't exactly a revelation we haven't seen in five hundred other films by now). The magic of this universe lies in the fine details and the complexity of its worldbuilding, which works beautifully in an RPG, but film is a different medium entirely. This is the exact pitfall the World of Warcraft film faces; if they aren't careful, it could end up being total garbage.

velvetsurfer9 said:It won't follow the game's plot, but rather center on the First Contact War.

That sounds significantly better. They could craft a legitimate narrative there without pissing off the fans by having to (heavily) alter the established lore from the games.

bluebison8 said:Sorry, but the story isn't 30 hours long, especially if you cut out all the fluff from the side quests.

You could easily squeeze it all into one or two three-hour movies. But honestly? If the movie follows the game plot exactly, it’ll be a dud. The main story itself isn't anything groundbreaking—it's pretty straightforward without much character growth or major twists. I mean, finding out in Mass Effect 1 that Reapers are behind everything, or that it wasn't just a rogue Spectre, isn't some massive revelation we haven't seen in five hundred other movies by now. What makes this world special is the small details and how complex everything feels when it works as a great RPG, but a movie is a different beast entirely. It's the same issue with the World of Warcraft film; it could end up being total garbage if they aren't careful.

Actually, it would be way better if they just made it a series, but what can you do... 🤷

brightpuma said:honestly, it would have been way better if they just made it a series, but what can you do... 🤷

It's just silly to make a series when you already know the whole plot.
Maybe they could try a series following some other human Spectre, where their investigations occasionally cross paths with bits and pieces from the game.

Look, even though the game itself is absolutely incredible, I honestly don't think we're going to see a decent movie out of it. Let's be real—video game adaptations rarely turn out good, and this won't be any different. It just isn't going to hit the same way.

Personally, I’m actually relieved they aren't focusing on the First Contact War. You can't really build a nuanced, detailed plot around that; you'd just end up portraying the Turians as mindless barbarians trying to wipe out humanity, which would make the audience hate them for the rest of the franchise.

Besides, if you just take the core missions from Mass Effect 1 (the Citadel, Feros/Noveria, Ilos, and back to the Citadel), you could easily stretch that into a decent-sized movie—maybe three hours long. If they can capture the quality of the story from ME1, they have plenty of material to work with for a feature film.

The story is going to be based on the first game, according to what was posted on the Legendary Pictures website (http://www.legendary.com/blog/sdcc-f...ions-answered/):
"Q: Will it just be an adaptation of the first game, second game, or a completely new story?
A: It will focus on Commander Shepard's journey, centering around the story of the original Mass Effect game." 🙂

I think this is a great move, even if some people complain that they're forcing a specific "canon" version of Shepard on us (meaning they're showing one set way of things happened, whereas in the game, you have choices).
But that's not really true. Casey Hudson himself has mentioned that there isn't one single "canon" Shepard because every player creates their own. So, watching this will probably feel like we're just watching someone else play through the game and making their own specific choices. That's actually a good thing; when you play, you can go Paragon or Renegade multiple times, and each playthrough offers something fresh and interesting.

IBM, I can't wait 😁 This game is legendary; honestly, there should be a movie made about it 🙂

Michael Palmer9 said:I suppose I'm actually looking forward to seeing what IBM comes up with. 😁 Games really should be considered the gold standard; I suppose it’s only logical that they’d be adapted into films. 🙂

It’s generally accepted that movies adapted from video games tend to be rather subpar—one might look at John Wick or Lara Croft as prime examples.

I suppose I still find myself leaning toward Star Wars being the superior choice here, mostly because the game is just brilliant. Between the core gameplay and that incredible narrative, it seems to hold up regardless of whether you frame it in the past, present, or future—it's just exceptionally well-crafted.

That’s exactly why I suspect the movie shouldn't lean too heavily on the game's existing narrative. It might actually serve the first installment better to focus on Shepard's backstory instead—perhaps diving into his military history, highlighting the Akira battle, or exploring those specific origins like being Born-on-Earth or a solo Survivor. There are endless ways they could go with it, I guess.

Here's a potential candidate.

...or perhaps this one? : )

It’ll turn out fine as long as it isn't directed by that one guy whose name we just don't mention (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uwe_Boll) and provided they don't cast Keanu Reeves as Shepard.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/to...ndex/2717410/1 - Bioware's forums, there's some speculation going on about the movie and the casting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-XepsEnN_A - some guy on YouTube talking about the film

And yeah...
Shepard:

1. Top pick - Matthew Fox (in my opinion):

2. Channing Tatum:

3. Sam Worthington:

4. Jason Statham:


As for The Joker:

If it isn't Seth Green (the actor from the game),

then maybe Jake Gyllenhaal (they look pretty similar to me):

I just really hope they don't put Uwe Boll in the director's chair :/ I mean, since they already announced this won't be some low-effort, trashy adaptation straight from a video game, they can't be crazy enough to hire someone like him. Hopefully, they're actually aiming high with this one.

Word on the street is that Seth Green, the voice behind The Joker, isn't going to be reprising his role for the upcoming film. This leaves a massive question mark hanging over the entire narrative structure, considering Shepard's journey spans from the beginning of the Star Wars Saga all the way through to the end of the third installment. I wonder if we're looking at a complete alternate timeline, or perhaps a standalone story set somewhere within the existing trilogy. Judging by what Legendary has hinted at, it's entirely possible the movie might just disregard the events of the three games altogether.

I suspect Seth Green won't be playing The Joker, and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Daft Punk ended up scoring the soundtrack instead—they did such iconic work for Tron, after all.

Scott Campbell61 said:Some reports are suggesting that Seth Green, the actor behind the voice of the pilot Joker, won't be returning for the upcoming film. It also raises some questions regarding the actual plot since the hero's journey spans from Part 1 all the way to Part 3. I wonder if we're looking at an alternate timeline or a story that actually fits within the existing game trilogy. Looking at the response from Legendary Entertainment, it seems like the movie might just ignore the events of the three games entirely.

I don't really think we'll see Seth Green playing the Joker, and I'm betting Daft Punk will handle the soundtrack. After all, they did the music for Tron.

Is anyone actually reading the previous posts here? -.-

Jeremy Lewis4 said:(...)
According to the updates on the Legendary Entertainment pages, the story is going to be based on the first game.Check out this link from Legendary Entertainment regarding their SDCC Q&A session where they address several frequently asked questions: http://www.legendary.com/blog/sdcc-f...ions-answered/):
"Do you think they’ll just stick to adapting the first game, the second, or are we looking at a totally new story altogether?
The movie is going to center on the hero's journey, specifically focusing on the events from the first game in the Mass Effect series." 🙂

Once again, looking at the official websites for Legendary who will make the film...Check out this link from the official Legendary Entertainment blog where they’ve put together a quick FAQ to answer all those burning questions following SDCC: http://www.legendary.com/blog/sdcc-f...ions-answered/Jeremy Lewis4 says:
I think the movie will likely cover the events of the first game.
Since they haven't made any final decisions on casting yet, we still don't know if Seth Green is actually going to be playing the Joker.
It’s still way too early to say who will be handling the soundtrack, so there hasn't been any word yet regarding Daft Punk. ☕