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Grab the Popcorn: Mass Effect Movie En Route

For once, a game-to-movie deal based on a franchise with enough narrative substance to maybe, just maybe work.

Your casting choice?
Your casting choice?
Here's your big-game-franchise-being-turned-into-a-movie story of the day--but for once, it's a deal I actually want to be optimistic about. Variety's Cut Scene blog says EA has optioned Mass Effect film rights to Avi Arad, the prolific producer and former Marvel Comics movie guy who once embarked on a quest to put at least one film in theaters based on every single Marvel property ever conceived. (Seriously, look at the guy's credits on IMDB.) Arad was a key player on the X-Mens, Spider-Mans, and Iron Mans of the world, so on the Hollywood side I want to believe this project has at least a dim hope of not sucking.

More importantly, the Mass Effect fiction has the sort of breadth and depth to support lots of good stories, regardless of their medium. Most games take place inside a fictional space just big enough to contain their core narratives--but Mass Effect, the universe, is way bigger than Mass Effect, the game, as anyone who read the Revelation prequel novel can attest. It might have been easy to pass the game off as the-KOTOR-that-wasn't, with its numerous elements that cribbed straight from Star Wars. (Dark energy? Oh, you mean the Force!) But there was so much more going on in there, all the different alien species and cultures, the politics, the galactic strife. (Man, I could go for some galactic strife. Then again, I spent a lot of my time with Mass Effect thinking longingly about a Star Trek: The Next Generation-style weekly TV drama, so maybe you shouldn't pay any attention to what I say.)

Variety's Ben Fritz points out the malleability of Mass Effect's Commander Shepard, who you could make a man or woman with as many different possible appearances as the numerous face sliders allowed. But I was perfectly happy playing through with the stock male Cmdr. Shepard when I ran through Mass Effect; the producers could probably get by casting a square-jawed B-lister with a shaved head and call it a day on that front.

I wanted to make a tasteless joke about blue-alien sex scenes here, but I'll let you have fun with that in the comments.

Does the idea of a Mass Effect movie do anything for you? Would you want to see a theatrical adaptation of the game's plot, or a different storyline altogether? And do you think Seth Green should be in it?
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Brad

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Edited By Brad
Your casting choice?
Your casting choice?
Here's your big-game-franchise-being-turned-into-a-movie story of the day--but for once, it's a deal I actually want to be optimistic about. Variety's Cut Scene blog says EA has optioned Mass Effect film rights to Avi Arad, the prolific producer and former Marvel Comics movie guy who once embarked on a quest to put at least one film in theaters based on every single Marvel property ever conceived. (Seriously, look at the guy's credits on IMDB.) Arad was a key player on the X-Mens, Spider-Mans, and Iron Mans of the world, so on the Hollywood side I want to believe this project has at least a dim hope of not sucking.

More importantly, the Mass Effect fiction has the sort of breadth and depth to support lots of good stories, regardless of their medium. Most games take place inside a fictional space just big enough to contain their core narratives--but Mass Effect, the universe, is way bigger than Mass Effect, the game, as anyone who read the Revelation prequel novel can attest. It might have been easy to pass the game off as the-KOTOR-that-wasn't, with its numerous elements that cribbed straight from Star Wars. (Dark energy? Oh, you mean the Force!) But there was so much more going on in there, all the different alien species and cultures, the politics, the galactic strife. (Man, I could go for some galactic strife. Then again, I spent a lot of my time with Mass Effect thinking longingly about a Star Trek: The Next Generation-style weekly TV drama, so maybe you shouldn't pay any attention to what I say.)

Variety's Ben Fritz points out the malleability of Mass Effect's Commander Shepard, who you could make a man or woman with as many different possible appearances as the numerous face sliders allowed. But I was perfectly happy playing through with the stock male Cmdr. Shepard when I ran through Mass Effect; the producers could probably get by casting a square-jawed B-lister with a shaved head and call it a day on that front.

I wanted to make a tasteless joke about blue-alien sex scenes here, but I'll let you have fun with that in the comments.

Does the idea of a Mass Effect movie do anything for you? Would you want to see a theatrical adaptation of the game's plot, or a different storyline altogether? And do you think SethGreen should be in it?
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Kevin

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Edited By Kevin

Paul Walker for Commander Shepard.

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Rorschach

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Edited By Rorschach

Karl Urban, sans hair, for Shepard!

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Peach

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Edited By Peach

I do think Seth Green should be in it.

Dunno if I'm gonna see this.
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NickL

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Edited By NickL

not to keen on the movie, considering i was one of the few who seemed to hate this game

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GalvanizedNails

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Edited By GalvanizedNails

this is something I could totally get behind!

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TheGTAvaccine

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Edited By TheGTAvaccine

I dont think the game has enough roots to justify a movie.

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Jimbo7676

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Edited By Jimbo7676

It could be okay. Yes Seth Green should totally be in it.

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mattbodega

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Edited By mattbodega

Soooo....Jason Statham?
Mass Effect: It's like Crank in Space!

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lamegame621

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Edited By lamegame621

Seth Green as Joker mos def. hmm...Samuel L. Jackson should be in it.  Very Awesome. I want to see this in movie form.  Jason Statham. Excellent. Jason Statham as Kaiden Alenko sounds great to me.

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j_meyer_13

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Edited By j_meyer_13

Mass Effect would make an awesome movie, if they could pull it off.  And Seth Green should definitely be Joker.

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Sniffulls

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Edited By Sniffulls

Matthew Fox for Shepard?

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Aether

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Edited By Aether

Would love to see that movie. Jackie Chan as Commander Shepard plz. And Chris Tucker as...someone. I need to see them reunited.

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mad4it89

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Edited By mad4it89

It would be a travesty if Seth Green wasn't to play the Joker.

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RagingLion

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Edited By RagingLion

I really loved the game and would kind of feel obliged to see a film of it if they put one out.  If they kept to the storyline of the game it would obviously mean more to me, but the galaxy and races were awesome enough as it was to create all kinds of cool stories.

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Francois

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Edited By Francois

John Malkovich as Shepard.

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GioVANNI

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Edited By GioVANNI

A Mass Effect movie would be great...

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CaleShepard

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Edited By CaleShepard

I love Mass Effect (notice name)

p.s. I also would love to see John Malkovich play Shepard hahaha

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sdhero

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Edited By sdhero

Screw all those guys.  Sarah Michelle Gellar as the female version of Shepard.

And yeah, Seth Green as the character played by Seth Green seems like the easiest casting decision ever.

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SpikeDelight

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Edited By SpikeDelight

ONE MILLION PERCENT Shepard should be played by Jack from Lost. He looks really similar to him (although not with that facial hair in the picture) and I think it'd be a perfect fit.

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Oncomouse

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Edited By Oncomouse

Who's to say there will even be a Commander Shepard in the movie? 

I would much rather see an original story in the Mass Effect universe.  There was a ton of foundation laid in that game.  Why do we need to see the same story played out again?  A prequel could be interesting - something about the fall of Saren at the hands of the Reapers.  Or something about the first contact war between the humans and Turians could be great as well.

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hexogen

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Edited By hexogen

This could turn out to be pretty decent, but we'll have to wait and see.

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spiceninja

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Edited By spiceninja

The Rock and Shepard. He ends up in every movie as it is.

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Claude

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Edited By Claude

Star Trek: The Next Generation was great show and your right, Mass Effect would be a great weekly show. More than likey, it would become a movie franchise, but to do that a producer would have to bring in an audience on the first run with promises of more to come. Cross your fingers people and dream that little dream that good writers are hired and a director that nows the craft is at the helm.

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Edited By MrKlorox

I would be interested in a Mass Effect feature if it was done in CGI like Beowulf.

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Conflict

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Edited By Conflict

Not to undermine the choices given to the Character I have a feeling that it will be handled the same way that Ascension was, in that Shephard will be referred to but not in any great detail and only in the circumstances that played out regardless of the main character being good or evil. An original story is a must, the Universe needs to be expanded and this is the perfect way to do it.

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Computerplayer1

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Edited By Computerplayer1

This is all kind of creepy because just before I saw this post, I was thinking how Mass Effect would make a really sweet movie. Here's hoping if they go ahead with it that they won't butcher it like 99% of all video game-to-movie transition seems to.

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Arkthemaniac

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Edited By Arkthemaniac

AAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

There was more story in Mass Effect than gameplay as it is. Why make a GODDAMN MOVIE!?!
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GiantBomber

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Edited By GiantBomber

Matthew Fox does look the part but I don't know if I could handle watching him as this part. Karl Urban... perhaps.

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Fade2Gray

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Edited By Fade2Gray

Never played Mass Effect, but I've had a huge hankering for a truly epic space drama for some time now (probably ever since BSG took a nosedive). If Mass Effect can kill two birds with one stone by being both that and the first video game move to really make a mark than I say more power to it!

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Pleasureizmine

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Edited By Pleasureizmine

I think I just shit myself

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Edited By Jedted
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Raven10

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Edited By Raven10

I would like to put forth James Cameron as director, Akiva Goldsman as writer, Stephen Spielberg as producer, Mathew Fox as Shepard and music by James Horner. 

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AlucardaLaCarte

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Edited By AlucardaLaCarte

FATHER! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN MEEEEE?!?!?!

Now that that's out of my system, I agree with Karl Urban as a choice. He was great in Rings and I think he got a raw deal in Chronicles of Riddick (which I actually liked) and Doom (which...well I didn't).

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dtran1212

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Edited By dtran1212

Avi Arad is just a mere producer, it all comes down to the director and who is writing the scripts. Honestly, it doesn't matter who is producing it, the quality of the movies always depends on a good director and a solid script.

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apocalypse_blue

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Edited By apocalypse_blue

I'm sure if they let Drew Karpyshyn write up the plot outline and then stick to it, it could be pretty good. I read Revelations and I'm half way through Ascension and they're both pretty good.

I don't think it should be anything to do with Commander Shepard or the crew of the Normandy though. They should do the same as they're doing with the rest of the franchise and focus on different areas of the universe, with maybe a few links here or there with the books/games.

Should it be set before or after the first game though?

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Mexalen

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Edited By Mexalen

I think that you can tell numerous stories in the Mass Effect-Universe. I'd like to see the story of ME told from another perspective. Maybe Sarens?
The mainstory itself has every aspect a hollywood flick needs, action, drama, some erotic-tension ...

For the cast, I'd prefer some new faces. I always start seeing an actor in his previous roles and match lines from his other movies into the new ones, which makes me crack up, but destroys lots of movies....
Like "Troy" where I imagined how the siege would have turned out with Eric Bana as Hulk, Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden and Orlando Bloom as Legolas....

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KingOfIceland

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Edited By KingOfIceland

I'm with Oncomouse.

I think a prequel about the contact wars would be good, or even show how the other species found the Citadel. Let the games (i.e us) tell Shepard's story

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darthzew

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Edited By darthzew

Mass Effect was already basically a huge interactive movie, so this shouldn't be bad. The only problem is that one of the best parts of Mass Effect was the choices that YOU got to make... 

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Wii60BigScreenGamer

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Since he already knows the ins and outs of GOOD GAME based on a BAD MOVIE, lets take this GOOD GAME and let VIN DIESEL make it a BAD MOVIE!! har har 

seriously, this is actually good source material. if hollywood F's this one up.......that will just be sad, i guess.
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deadpoool

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Edited By deadpoool

'narrative substance'....i think bioshock has enough to work

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Seraphim

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Edited By Seraphim

Either Dominic Purcell or Wentworth Miller for Commander Shepard.

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demonbear

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Edited By demonbear

Wentworth Miller for Shephard is actually a really good idea. Good call.

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Sandvich

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Edited By Sandvich

There has never been a good game-to-movie. But that little fact won't stop 'em.

Also, it's clear that BioWare built the default Shephard to look like Matthew Fox (Jack Shephard on 'LOST'...coincidence?)...but if he's smart he wouldn't touch this with a 10' pole.

Name one good video-game-movie. Go.
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irishjohn

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Edited By irishjohn

It makes a lot more sense to me than the Bioshock movie.  Unless they make the same boneheaded choice with Director.

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lucas_kelly

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Edited By lucas_kelly

Keith David and Seth Green should do the roles they had in the game and Christian Bale should play Shepard.

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cjmhockey

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Edited By cjmhockey

The game: awesome
The book: great
Movie I can only hope would be good enough to do credit to the great storytelling of both the game and the books and Seth Green should definitely be in the movie.

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selbie

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Edited By selbie

You know The Rock would be the perfect meat-head for the role. He can either play the Paragon or the Renegade, it won't matter.

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CrimsonKingX

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Edited By CrimsonKingX

The Rock gets my vote for Shepard! Laugh and make fun all you want, I think he would do the role perfect.

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Superchris129

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Edited By Superchris129

Looks a lot like vin diesel, too bad he trashed his reputation with those kids movies