BioWare, the Canadian-based division of video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. and FUNimation Entertainment, a distributor of Japanese animation in North America, have agreed to create an anime feature film adapted from video game "Mass Effect", with Tokyo-based anime/feature film production company T.O Entertainment, Inc. signing on as a co-producer.
Casey Hudson of BioWare, executive producer of the "Mass Effect" games series, will serve as executive producer on the film, with FUNimation President/CEO Gen Fukunaga, Director of Original Entertainment Chris Moujaes and T.O Entertainment’s CEO Takeichi Honda, Yui Shibata.
First released in 2007, "Mass Effect" takes place in the year 2183, with the player, assuming the role of an elite human soldier named 'Commander Shepard', who sets out to explore the Galaxy on a starship, the 'SSV Normandy'.
"...The titular 'mass effect' is a form of inertia-suppressing technology, allowing faster-than-light travel..."
"Over the last few years, we have revealed different pieces of the 'Mass Effect' world through different media," said Hudson. "Extending the story through an anime medium is another amazing opportunity for us. Partnering with FUNimation ensures that we will bring this rich universe to life with the utmost quality and the same attention to detail that the 'Mass Effect' games are known for."
"It is thanks to the enormous and passionate 'Mass Effect' fan base that this movie is made possible," said Fukunaga.
Following a series of "Mass Effect" comic books from publisher Dark Horse, production of the "Mass Effect" anime movie has already started, with digital/home video releases scheduled for the summer of 2012.