Mass Effect movie turned into a TV show that never got off the ground says game director

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Mass Effect's troubled production killed the project but there is still hope for the future.

Mass Effect 3
(Image credit: BioWare)

Mass Effect project director Mac Walters has given insight into what happened to the Mass Effect movie, but also why it may reappear as something else. 

The Mass Effect movie was initially announced by Legendary Pictures in 2010 right at the height of the franchise's original trilogy. It was, and remains, one of the most cinematic yet personal stories in games and at the time, it seemed inevitable that Mass Effect would find a home on the big screen. 

However, the film never came together. Walters has talked about just why the project never quite made it off the ground in a new interview with BusinessInsider. Unsurprisingly getting the expansive and story-rich universe of Mass Effect into one neat film was a major stumbling block. 

Walters said of getting the film to work: "It felt like we were always fighting the IP. What story are we going to tell in 90 to 120 minutes?"

However, that ideation eventually changed. As the project realized it wouldn't work as a film, after a change of leadership at Legendary, it started to be considered as a TV Show instead. That would appear to be a much more natural fit for the series. However, this retooling into another medium killed the project's momentum. Walters said, "it never picked up again after that, not for lack of trying."

However, Walters also mentions he believes it's only a matter of time before Mass Effect makes its way onto the screen, be it big or small. Before saying "it was not a matter of if, but when", he revealed: "It's such an expansive world, and so many people I know in the TV and film industry have reached out to ask me when we're going to do it and saying we've got to do it"

With the sudden resurgance of video game adaptions like Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat and the upcoming The Last of Us TV show and Paramount's Halo show, Mass Effect seems like a prime candidate to make the leap next. Here's hoping the project finally finds its footing in the future.

If you'd like to see what's coming for the future of the franchise, check out our page showing everything we know about Mass Effect 5.

Patrick Dane
Freelance writer

Patrick Dane is the former Guides Editor at TechRadar. He is now a freelance games journalist writing for sites and publications such as GamesRadar, Metro, IGN, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and the International Business Times, among others. He was also once the Managing Editor for Bleeding Cool.