Mass Effect Movie Panel at Comic-Con.

[RatRace123]

Proving that Movie execs never give up on a potential IP, Legendary Pictures held a panel at Comic-Con today to talk about their plans for the Mass Effect movie.
They say that in working closely with the game's creators and the fact that Mass Effect has a rich world, akin to Star Wars, they hope that could be enough to help it rise above the rest of the game adaptations. They also said the movie would be based on the first game.

Here's an article talking about it:
http://movies.ign.com/articles/118/1183708p1.html

Personally, I'm kinda eh. I think the best way to bring Mass Effect to life would be a mini series, it's really hard to condense a forty hour game down into a two and a half hour movie and not lose something.

Still, if they're set on it I have a suggestion for them: (A suggestion, they'll probably never read, but it won't stop me from voicing it.)

The fans of the game are the biggest potential audience, they should be the primary demographic for the movie. I think casting could go a long way to earning their favor.

We can probably assume that Shepard, Ashley, Kaiden and Liara would probably be played by other actors; but with Garrus, Wrex, Tali and Saren, the voice actors should reprise their roles in the film. Why bother recasting them if you don't need to?

I've brought this point up before, but I really believe that keeping the cast for those characters would actually do a lot to help win over fans. Especially Saren for me, I can't see anyone but Fred Tatasciore in the part, and Saren's a big part in the first Mass Effect. He serves as the antagonist and for most of the time, he's the face of the enemy; basically he's Mass Effect's Darth Vader.

That's just my thought though, anyone else have any thing they'd like to see in the movie? And "no movie at all" doesn't count, it seems they're really dead set on making it.

 

[CGAdam]

I've never actually finished a Mass Effect game, but I think it's worthy of a movie. I'd even go see it; maybe it'd convince me to play. But I know in advance that there'd be soooo damn much fan griping over Shepard's gender and romantic choice, because they weren't canon/fanon.

 

[badgersprite]

It will probably be terrible, but, if they're going to do it, then I personally think that it shouldn't follow Shepard or the plot of the games. Firstly, we've already played the games, so changing anything is just going to piss fans off, and, secondly, we all have our own Shepard, so making Paragon/Renegade Shepard canon is going to annoy people who chose the other path.

If they're going to do a movie, it should either follow squad mates from the game and serve as a bridging sequel, or it should be like the books, where they follow completely different characters and just expand on the universe and other areas of conflict/interest in the galaxy. There are loads of other people in the galaxy with interesting stories to be told, apart from just Shepard & Co.

 

[Nimcha]

It will probably be terrible, but, if they're going to do it, then I personally think that it shouldn't follow Shepard or the plot of the games. Firstly, we've already played the games, so changing anything is just going to piss fans off, and, secondly, we all have our own Shepard, so making Paragon/Renegade Shepard canon is going to annoy people who chose the other path.

If they're going to do a movie, it should either follow squad mates from the game and serve as a bridging sequel, or it should be like the books, where they follow completely different characters and just expand on the universe and other areas of conflict/interest in the galaxy. There are loads of other people in the galaxy with interesting stories to be told, apart from just Shepard & Co.

Exactly. I really loved the comics featuring Aria T'Loak. Could be because I love her character regardless, but still.

 

[ZeroMachine]

I've never actually finished a Mass Effect game, but I think it's worthy of a movie. I'd even go see it; maybe it'd convince me to play. But I know in advance that there'd be soooo damn much fan griping over Shepard's gender and romantic choice, because they weren't canon/fanon.

I HATE the idea that Mass Effect has a "canon". It's a fresh, user-driven universe. There should be no "canon".

It makes sense with the KoTORs. Not with Mass Effect or Dragon Age.

... Wait, does Dragon Age have a canon? Please tell me Dragon Age doesn't have a canon

 

[Shock and Awe]

My Short Cast List,

Commander Shepard-Brad Pitt(the guy is a flexible actor and he was pretty badass in Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Ashley Williams-Michelle Rodriguez(the role screams her name)

Kaiden Alenko-Jake Gyllenhaal(another really flexible actor, everything from Jarhead to Brokeback Mountain)

Captain Anderson-Samuel L Jackson(cause thats just badass)

Beyond that I have no clue.

 

[Xathos]

Based on the first game huh? I mean, they say they are working with Bioware directly, but I can't even imagine how hard thats going to be. I mean, encompassing all of the major plot points in the first game can't be easy. Not to mention we don't know how they will do the aliens or anything. I guess the worst part would be that some characters would get cut from the movie, so some fanbases will be pissed.

But at the same time, its still pretty early. I guess we shouldn't get too worried about it, but either way, something tells me I'm going to go see this movie.

Proving that Movie execs never give up on a potential IP, Legendary Pictures held a panel at Comic-Con today to talk about their plans for the Mass Effect movie.
They say that in working closely with the game's creators and the fact that Mass Effect has a rich world, akin to Star Wars, they hope that could be enough to help it rise above the rest of the game adaptations. They also said the movie would be based on the first game.

Here's an article talking about it:
http://movies.ign.com/articles/118/1183708p1.html

Personally, I'm kinda eh. I think the best way to bring Mass Effect to life would be a mini series, it's really hard to condense a forty hour game down into a two and a half hour movie and not lose something.

I actually like this idea of it being a sort of miniseries. But I guess it wouldn't be as popular and have as much of a budget as the movie version.

 

[Twilight_guy]

If they make a mass effect movie they are going to have to gut the story and write the movie around something besides Shepard. Any story written about Sheppard is doomed. On top of that, most of Shepard's adventure is boring firefights and driving around and elevators. If you compressed the game into an actual story it'd be kind of boring. You'd have to spice it up and mix things up to structure it into a proper movie narrative. Canon and cut bitching would be unending but luckily the core demographic of the movie wouldn't be solely the people who played the games and fans. Don't ever try to make a movie for the fans, its not financially viable. It would have to be more space action movie overall.

 

[Nimbus]

Uh, who said a Mass Effect movie would have anything to do with Shepard? Have you guys read the books?

 

[JMeganSnow]

It will probably be terrible, but, if they're going to do it, then I personally think that it shouldn't follow Shepard or the plot of the games.

I agree with this, but if they're determined to follow Shepard, I think they really need to do a different spin on it, focusing on the possibilities of a third-person story instead of a first-person story. They have opportunities to do a lot of things that weren't done all that well in the game--make the aliens feel ALIEN, give much larger roles to people who were only supporting characters, play much more on the motivations/alliances/interests of the involved people, really show humans as the "new kids on the block" (and pushy new kids at that).

Heck, they even have a chance to show space as a large, dangerous, and terrifying place that people still know very little about.

 

[DustyDrB]

Uh, who said a Mass Effect movie would have anything to do with Shepard? Have you guys read the books?

They said it would be based on the first game. Yeah, I hoped they wouldn't cover Shepard's story, but no luck there. I'll be sitting these movies out. Not that I expect anything quality from Hollywood these days anyway.

 

[Yarkaz]

I've never actually finished a Mass Effect game, but I think it's worthy of a movie. I'd even go see it; maybe it'd convince me to play. But I know in advance that there'd be soooo damn much fan griping over Shepard's gender and romantic choice, because they weren't canon/fanon.

I HATE the idea that Mass Effect has a "canon". It's a fresh, user-driven universe. There should be no "canon".

It makes sense with the KoTORs. Not with Mass Effect or Dragon Age.

... Wait, does Dragon Age have a canon? Please tell me Dragon Age doesn't have a canon

DA seems less likely to have a canon then ME does. ME kinda has a baseline, "normal" Sheppard given the cover art in both games, although I wouldn't go as far as to call male, blue-eyed, buzz cut soldier Sheppard "canon." Just sort of an image to give potential new fans of a protaganist.

DA, conversely, has a dragon. Made of blood. That's it. Nothing to suggest an ideal character.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

That's just my thought though, anyone else have any thing they'd like to see in the movie? And "no movie at all" doesn't count, it seems they're really dead set on making it.

^^ I am an eternal optimist about this sort of thing. Since they are actually using the game writer for a source, I think they might pull this one off.

Anyway, the one thing I'd want to see?

FEMSHEP!

Screw male Shep - I want to see the movie staring Femshep! That would allow the movie to Brand itself separately from the game, and also create a new female action hero who has depth and interest.

 

[Redem]

Why the hell would I watch a movie that pretty much only by the cliff note version of what I've already played?

 

[WinkyTheGreat]

I hop[quote="badgersprite" post="9.302284.12072670"...I personally think that it shouldn't follow Shepard or the plot of the games. Firstly, we've already played the games, so changing anything is just going to piss fans off, and, secondly, we all have our own Shepard, so making Paragon/Renegade Shepard canon is going to annoy people who chose the other path....
[/quote]

This. I wouldn't mind seeing a movie about, say, The First Contact War or something like that. We've seen Shepard and his group. I would prefer something about the Mass Effect Universe that we haven't seen in the game.

 

[Vault101]

Id be fine if they didnt touch shepard...theres TONS of other material within the universe to work with

because shepard to me isnt a man...

 

[Diablo2000]

The fans of the game are the biggest potential audience, they should be the primary demographic for the movie.

... No, I am sorry but if they really make a Mass Effect movie(And I hope they don't) the fans will not be the focus of the production, maybe they will be a part of it, but the main focus will be to atract new fans to franchise. The fans of the gae will be on a second note.

Screw male Shep - I want to see the movie staring Femshep! That would allow the movie to Brand itself separately from the game, and also create a new female action hero who has depth and interest.

That, indeed that...
But the male Sheppard its also cool... Damn, can't we have them both?

Why the hell would I watch a movie that pretty much only by the cliff note version of what I've already played?

I don't know why, but you will... It's that kind of thing you can't avoid. Don't lie to yourself.

 

[Nimbus]

Uh, who said a Mass Effect movie would have anything to do with Shepard? Have you guys read the books?

They said it would be based on the first game. Yeah, I hoped they wouldn't cover Shepard's story, but no luck there. I'll be sitting these movies out. Not that I expect anything quality from Hollywood these days anyway.

Seriously? That sucks big time. That means the movie will be non-canon. Fuck that shit.

 

[ScrubberDucky]

I just think the decision to switch the movie to anime of all things was one that doomed it from the start. Live action is what would make a Mass Effect movie, and if that wasn't an option, I would've just axed it until it was, if ever. An anime adaptation, unless handled legendarily, will just be a letdown in conveying the Mass Effect universe via film.

 

[Fenn]

The Mass Effect franchise is already highly cinematic. One of it's key selling points was it's ability to provide an excellent narrative with meaningful choices, all the while providing consistant and entertaining combat.

Isn't a movie just taking part of the game away? This is a completely unnecessary film and ought to be canned.

I have just been informed that this "movie" will be in the form of an anime...

THE FUCK?!