Mass Effect movie five or six years away, says producer

Gamers holding out for the upcoming Mass Effect movie may want to get comfortable. Producer Avi Arad told Kotaku in a new interview that the film's release is five or six years away, putting its potential debut at 2018 or 2019.

"It's a big idea, that we, humans, are the least developed, the least trusted. It's an interesting mirror image of our world, we are the aliens now," Arad said of the film's script. "Love the project, it's getting there, it's been a lot of work; some movies take five, six years before they're ready."

Arad, who helped bring comic book heroes Iron Man and Spider-Man to the big screen, also has a hand in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid movie. He said he is planning to have dinner with creator Hideo Kojima soon and that the film is in its early stages, not expected to hit theaters for three or more years.

"If you go to Metal Gear Solid, it's actually full of storytelling," Arad said, adding that he always looks to operas or the Bible for storytelling inspiration. "And with Metal Gear, you have Cain and Abel."

Arad also addressed the Uncharted movie, which has been a long time coming. He said this film has a great chance to succeed because of its story and relationships between characters, among other things.

"I think Uncharted will be very successful. It's a father and son game," Arad said. "There are things about it that are interesting. I think the world of antiquities theft, there are many countries in the world that realized they're being robbed and they're trying to recoup these important pieces. Now, the script has a lot of character [and] I think that has a shot at being the first one [to succeed]."

Naughty Dog is reportedly very interested in bringing on Superbad writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to work on the Uncharted film.

Ultimately, Arad said he understands the task that is in front of him. He acknowledged that adapting games to films has been a challenge thus far for movie studios. Even if a game sells well, it does not mean a film will also be a success, he said.

"I think that film studios are bankers and filmmakers are risk takers and somewhere in between we meet on the battlefield," Arad said. "And the moment one video game movie goes through the roof, it's the same thing that I've been through with comic books."