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Mass Effect film focusing on first game

Comic-Con 2011: Casey Hudson joins writer Mark Protosevich to offer teaser on Legendary Pictures-produced adaptation of EA's sci-fi RPG.

SAN DIEGO--Legendary Pictures carted in a whole host of high-profile talent to talk about its portfolio of upcoming films at Comic-Con 2011, ranging from The Seventh Son star Jeff Bridges to Bradley Cooper, who plays the archangel Lucifer in Alex Proyas' Paradise Lost. Somewhat out of place at the star-studded panel were Casey Hudson and Mark Protosevich, who were on hand to offer morsels of information on the Legendary Pictures-produced Mass Effect film.

I'm Commander Shepherd, and this is my favorite panel at Comic-Con.

I'm Commander Shepherd, and this is my favorite panel at Comic-Con.

Unfortunately, as the Mass Effect film is still quite early in production, the duo had little to say by way of firm details on the film. Instead, Protosevich spoke at length about the tumultuous relationship Hollywood has had with the game industry. According to the screenwriter, Hollywood is often seduced by the game industry, in that it's easy to think that a game's action scenes would translate well to film.

However, very few of these games have any of the other necessary elements to become a quality film, he said. Hollywood writers and producers fail to ask difficult questions like whether the game has a good story, an interesting world, or evocative themes.

Mass Effect is a different animal, he said, because not only are the action scenes enticing, but there's also a substantive universe to flesh out a film with. Protosevich said that it's a real challenge getting Mass Effect into a single film, but that the team is focusing on the first game in the trilogy.

Legendary Pictures also provided updates on the Guillermo del Toro-directed Pacific Rim, as well as Jeff Bridges' The Seventh Son and Bradley Cooper's Paradise Lost. Check back with GameSpot later for a full video of Legendary Pictures' panel.

142 Comments

  • lfebaggins

    Posted Nov 3, 2011 4:16 pm GMT

    This will still be difficult to do correctly considering how open ended the Mass Effect series is and the significant decisions you make as Shepherd. Will he romance someone? If the rachni are in the movie, will he let the queen survive or die? Will he save the Council or let them die also?

    They should considering following the default storyline they have when you start a new, non-imported ME2 career and have him pick up every squad member. They just have to keep it short and focus on the main story with Saren.

    Legendary Pictures has its share of doozies and disappointments, but overall I've been really impressed with the movies they produced. They did make Watchmen and although it wasn't the best movie and it was PAINFULLY long, they did stay accurate mostly to the comic. Bioware also seems to be very involved in the development of this movie so I am pretty confident we'll get a good Mass Effect movie that stays accurate to the ME universe.

  • KDogKool

    Posted Aug 31, 2011 6:43 pm GMT

    If made perfectly this will be beautiful. Hopefully they dont botch this opportunity

  • scubasam741

    Posted Aug 29, 2011 10:39 am GMT

    id almost rather them not try. its going to be a massive undertaking to do this well and stay true to the game. but no matter what they do it wont please everyone. given game movie history this is a risky gambit.

  • kenthuss

    Posted Aug 7, 2011 7:10 am GMT

    The Game Was Perfect. I Hope The Video Should Be Like The game

  • Echoness

    Posted Aug 4, 2011 9:07 pm GMT

    I'm Commander Shepherd, and this is my favorite panel at Comic-Con. THIS is the most highlight..LOL

  • radshaw1

    Posted Aug 2, 2011 2:15 am GMT

    Wow , ( Mass effect ) the movie,now that would be a cool game to big screen.the game has great elements that would work well on the big screen.

  • TurambarGS

    Posted Aug 1, 2011 11:33 pm GMT

    I'm not sure I like the idea of ME on the big screen. Besides the obvious (that they're making canon out of an RPG, which by definition is a game based around choices) I bet there will be Hollywood compromises and I have absolutely no faith in Hollywood to make a decent movie based on a game franchise. History shows they suck at it.

  • KOBE23IVAN

    Posted Aug 1, 2011 6:47 pm GMT

    Mass Effect Movie 2013 should be about...

    - The default pre-made male paragon Shepard

    - Pre-Service History:

    Earth-born: As an Earth-born, you had a rough childhood in the slums of Earth, and have a gritty edge to your personality. You enlisted at the age of eighteen, in order to avoid falling into the trap of gang culture and poverty.

    - Psychological Profile:

    Sole Survivor: During your service, a mission you were on went horribly wrong. Trapped in an extreme survival situation, you had to overcome physical torments and psychological stresses that would have broken most people. You survived while all those around you fell, and now you alone are left to tell the tale. The Sole Survivor's unit was slaughtered in a thresher maw attack on Akuze.

    - Class:

    Soldier.

    or The First Contact War

    After discovering the Charon Relay, humans began a rapid expansion thanks to their new-found connection to the mass relay network. Hoping to expand their territory and driven by immense curiosity about the galaxy, they began activating every mass relay they could find. However, in 2157, their actions caught the notice of the turians, who found human explorers reactivating an inactive mass relay known as Relay 314. This was forbidden under the Citadel regulations after the Rachni Wars, but instead of negotiating, the turians opened fire. One starship escaped to warn the Alliance; a retaliatory force destroyed the turian vessels, and the situation quickly escalated into war. To the turians, it was merely a police action against an ignorant species violating Council law; to humanity, it was their first encounter with another intelligent race - and it would shape their views of the galaxy for decades to follow. PS: I LOVE THIS GAME !!!

  • CisQo5

    Posted Jul 30, 2011 3:12 pm GMT

    The movie is going to be ruined with a stupid love story.

  • supertom221

    Posted Jul 30, 2011 7:57 am GMT

    @MrHatnClogs Actually it's not that hard to figure out.

    1). Obviously male shepard. Always was and always will be. Never saw a female Shepard on covers either.
    2). Paragon, as you might guess. Shepard IS a hero, no matter how you look at it.
    3). The default option given at the start of the game.
    4). Also The Default.
    5). No one said there's going to be a romance, or any with the characters we know. Personally I prefer it that way.

  • supertom221

    Posted Jul 30, 2011 7:48 am GMT

    @MrGoldfish1 Forget the Movie. PLAY it. and ME2. Even more action packed, it is.

  • supertom221

    Posted Jul 30, 2011 7:48 am GMT

    @zequex Ahah! Niiiice!

  • zequex

    Posted Jul 25, 2011 2:31 pm GMT

    This movie should have alternate endings.

  • MrGoldfish1

    Posted Jul 25, 2011 10:15 am GMT

    Haven't played Mass Effect yet but the movie will probably be interesting.

  • kvan33

    Posted Jul 25, 2011 9:30 am GMT

    It would have to focus on first game. If they focused on ME2, the movie would consist of 1.5 hours of Shepard doing loyalty quests, and the last 30 minutes of actual plot.

  • Melas300

    Posted Jul 25, 2011 1:40 am GMT

    "I'm Commander Shepherd, and this is my favorite panel at Comic-Con." Awesome!! Congrats to whoever thought it!

  • isshiah

    Posted Jul 25, 2011 1:34 am GMT

    they could make a film based on a few of the codex entries haha.

  • nyran125

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 11:37 pm GMT

    ust dotn give it to the DOOM writers or Resident Evil writers and give it to Peter Jackson and your made.

  • jefferson1964

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 7:53 pm GMT

    first ive heard of a ME film, hope they do the story justice.......

  • SolidTy

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 6:49 pm GMT


    I will support this, just make sure they get great talent and respect the material.

  • boomshot-fodder

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 4:47 pm GMT

    Why don't they just do a film about the First Contact War?

  • dinuattila

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 1:28 pm GMT

    As long as Uwe Boll is not involved I shall sleep well at night.

  • sircyrus

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 12:04 pm GMT

    I wasn't aware they were making a Mass Effect movie. Hopefully they don't turn it into strictly action and take time for the story. A lot of the game was interactions between characters, not just shooting.

    I wonder if they'll use Yvonne Strahovski as Miranda in a sequel? It would be weird if they picked another actress considering she has her face.

    And you guys talking about Lucifer need to remember that this is the Paradise Lost account of the story, not the scripture one.

    In the scripture, there is no figure known as Lucifer. Where "Lucifer" came from was a mistranslation when they translated the Bible into Latin. Most modern translations no longer make this mistake and translate it instead as "morning star", but the story of Satan being Lucifer before his fall has stuck around largely due to Dante's Inferno and Paradise Lost, Christian literature from many, many centuries ago.

    If you want to get right down to it, originally Satan was never believed to have been evil, led a rebellion, cast out, etc. Judaism has an entirely different view of his role than Christianity or Islam. It was Christianity that changed him into an evil fallen angel.

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 11:14 am GMT

    Hope they capture the essence of the first story well. It was pretty epic, but with all the details and info throughout the game, they'll have a very hard time explaining everything unles they do some neat visual tricks to explain some parts of it.

  • MrHatnClogs

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 10:28 am GMT

    This is gonna be a big challenge because ME is about decision making that gives the game different outcomes

    1. Male Shepard or Female Shepard?
    2. Paragon or Renegade Shepard? ( I think though they might go with paragon)
    3. Back story on shepard
    4. Shepards previous career
    5. Romance option (I hope they pick Tali instead of Miss Perfect or that Alien Racist)

  • h_cj

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 10:10 am GMT

    @Katsou
    There have been only four Archangels since the beginning and they always will be
    1-Gabriel :Gabriel is known as the angel who communicates with the Prophets
    2-Michael:Michael is often depicted as the Archangel of mercy who is responsible for bringing rain and thunder to Earth
    3-Azrael:is usually regarded as the angel of death
    4-Raphael:Israfil is the Angel responsible for signaling the coming of Judgment Day Lucifer/Satan has been a jean/demon even before being exorcised/fallen from heaven and he always will be

  • Katsou

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 9:12 am GMT

    @h_cj Lucifer/Satan was actualy an Archangel that was exorcised/fallen from heaven

  • h_cj

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 8:16 am GMT

    Viggo Mortensen Should paly as Sheperd

  • Darko-Ashitaka

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 4:17 am GMT

    Of course they're focusing on the first game, there's barely any main storyline in ME2...

  • Hatemachine25

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 2:53 am GMT

    Gotta give the guys out in Hollywood some props, after such monumental winners as Alone in the Dark, Doom, Super Mario Brothers, and DOOM!!!! (seriosuly Chromosome 13? WTF a teleporter to hell going buggo was TOO FRIGGIN COMPLICATED!?

    Sorry bad movie flashbacks, anyway, after the Prince of Persia movie, and Silent Hill I see a glimmer of hope in this project, Godspeed Legendary Pictures, Godspeed and please don't drop the ball on this.

  • h_cj posted Jul 24, 2011 2:30 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    h_cj

    Posted Jul 24, 2011 2:30 am GMT (hide)

    "who plays the archangel Lucifer "
    Lucifer's not an archangel , he's not an angel either .
    Lucifer is another name of Satan

  • 008Zulu

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 11:01 pm GMT

    As long as Shia "Destroyer of Franchises" LeBeouf isn't in any way associated, it'll be off to a good start.

    Its a big risk doing a movie though, if it does reflect the events of Mass Effect 1, then what ever happens in the movie would be considered Canon, and establishing a set Canon is something the ME devs have been trying to avoid.

  • delta16x

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 10:02 pm GMT

    I want Mass Effect movie to be a freakin' Oscar Winner !!
    If they made a good movie ....
    they are inviting a hell lot of customers for the Mass Effect game ....
    also i always think ...
    maybe in 2020 or something , they should make a remake of Mass Effect series so that the legend lives on !!

  • freedomspopular

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 8:51 pm GMT

    Whatever they end up basing it on, it better feature Jack Wall's music.

  • prioritymail

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 8:44 pm GMT

    So the film with be about ME1? Will it just be following the game story line with Shepard as the main character? I'd be down for that. Just make sure he kills Kaiden

  • Kazmo-Khan

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 6:15 pm GMT

    Some people will like it. Some people wont like .
    I for one am at least interested. Even if does turn out to be a huge flop, it will in no way effect how i look on the game series. Lets just cross our fingers and put some faith in Bioware and Legendary Pictures. We all know they are very capable of putting out some damn good games/films.

  • Australians

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 3:37 pm GMT

    Hopefully it will be awesome wonder what the main character is going to be like paragon, renegade or a bit of both

  • Master_Turismo

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 3:04 pm GMT

    I see this more like a Television series than a movie to be honest. I mean a movie would be awesome yes but seeing the series has alot of plot, it should better seen as a show.

  • TheVGamer

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 2:38 pm GMT

    @Kungfu_Kenobi Just because the "original trilogy" was about Shepard doesn't mean Mass Effect is about Shepard. Mass Effect is much more than that, there's a whole universe to explore, trillions of people, so if you're constrained by the idea that ME should die with Shepard and can't see the potential, I am truly sorry for you.

  • Ghosthunter54

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 1:35 pm GMT

    @chrisda

    Captain America? Thor? Green Lantern? Transformers? Pirates of the Caribbean? Iron Man 2? X-men?

    You're listing very old games. Goldeneye was for the N64, Riddick was for the original xbox, and King Kong was from 2005 - the only remotely modern game.

    Movies turned into games don't cut it nowadays b/c their budgets suck and they just try to recreate the story in a game. If they take the atmosphere and setting of the movie (like Star Wars games - Kotor, Republic Commando, X-wing), they do real well. Sadly, these are also older games, because people don't make games using movie atmosphere and setting only anymore.

  • RonTorque

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 1:31 pm GMT

    I haven't played any of the Mass Effect games but i truly know i am missing lots and lost of epicness.

  • chrisda

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 1:21 pm GMT

    @Ghosthunter54
    Goldeneye 007? Chronicles of Riddick? King Kong?

  • balla4162

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 1:04 pm GMT

    I don't think these people realize..............mass effect IS a freakin' movie in itself...

  • Ayato_Kamina_1

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 11:57 am GMT

    @kayos539

    Exactly what I thought! No doubt they'll get someone who looks like the default Shepard... who I think looks stupid and lacks personality. And my Shepard is always a renegade!

  • rustymenon

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 11:39 am GMT

    Well, at least this is better than them Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat movies.

  • armydominican69

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 11:25 am GMT

    @Nightrain50
    "knowing the second movie is a disaster unlike the greatness that was The Empire Strikes Back" are you seriously comparing Mass Effect to Star Wars? just go shoot yourself now guy

  • michaelt7

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 11:25 am GMT

    I really believe Mass Effect and its Lore are so Amazing. Ive Played and Replayed the 1st one the 2nd the PS3 Version. If for once a Game Turned Movie could Be done good Mass Effect Could be on the Level of Star wars and this is coming from a Huge Huge Star Wars Fan. How old is Vanderloo and has he ever done any Acting :p I just hope they dont screw this up. When they took Resident Evil To the Big Screen ugh im gonna Throw Up thinking about it

  • thundaro

    Posted Jul 23, 2011 11:13 am GMT

    I truly believe this movie COULD be good and probably or at least hopefully will capture the ME universe very well, However what is belief and what is probable are almost always without a doubt 2 different things. I guess time will tell.

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