Avi Arad set to produce Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid, and Mass Effect movies

Avi Arad, who is the founder of Marvel Studios and producer of the earlier Marvel movies, is now moving on to producing video game movie adaptations. UNCHARTED, METAL GEAR SOLID, and MASS EFFECT have all been stuck in development hell for quite a time now. UNCHARTED seems to be the one that will easily get made the earliest because of its storyline potential. Plus, it's been a while since we saw a good Indiana Jones type movie (even the last Indy movie was awful). METAL GEAR SOLID has potential too, but it will be requiring a longer negotiation time with the studios, and may take three years till it could take off. MASS EFFECT, on the other hand, could take around five or six years away before it will take off.
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The hit game series Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid, and Mass Effect have all had film adaptations stuck in development hell for years.  Uncharted came the closest to the big screen when David O. Russell was attached to write and direct and Mark Wahlberg on board to star as the treasure hunting hero Nathan Drake, but that fell apart.  Neil Burger then got in the director’s chair, but he departed the project about a year later.   Metal Gear Solid has been in development for over five years, and exactly one year ago, we reported that video game developer Konami was actively developing an adaptation.  It’s gone silent ever since.  And as for Mass Effect, almost a year ago we reported that Morgan Davis Foehl had taken over writing duties on the film adaptation. Now with Arad around, all balls will start rolling.

In an interview with Kotaku, Arad says:
“I think that film studios are bankers and filmmakers are risk takers and somewhere in between we meet on the battlefield, and the moment one video game movie goes through the roof, it’s the same thing that I’ve been through with comic books"

He’s absolutely right.  Until some movie gets the ball rolling, studios are going to be skittish.  It also doesn’t help that movie studios aren’t the only ones who are hesitant to adapt these properties.  Franchises are equally important to the game studios if not more so.  That’s why Ubisoft demanded a large amount of control over the upcoming Assassin’s Creed adaptation.  But if that movie or another one like Splinter Cell is a success, it could open the floodgates.

Until that happens, it’s still slow going on Arad’s pictures.  Uncharted is the furthest in its development, and Arad says:
“I think Uncharted will be very successful. It’s a father and son game. There are things about it that are interesting. I think the world of antiquities theft, there are many countries in the world that realised they’re being robbed and they’re trying to recoup these important pieces,” said Arad. “Now, the script has a lot of character [and] I think that has a shot at being the first one [to succeed].”

Arad also believes Metal Gear Solid has the storytelling chops to translate to the big.  “And with Metal Gear,” he says, “you have Cain and Abel.”  Presumably the “Cain and Abel” he’s referring to are Solid Snake and Liquid Snake.  I’m more interested in bringing in Psycho Mantis. Think how amazing it would be if halfway through the fight, the projector “broke” and the audience didn’t know how to handle it.  Sadly, Arad says a Metal Gear Solid adaptation is at least three years away even though he’ll be having dinner soon with creator Hideo Kojima.  Nevertheless, negotiations between studios are long and tedious, and the film will probably remain in stasis until an agreement is reached. As for Mass Effect, Arad says its motion picture adaptation could be five to six years away.  “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,” said Arad. “Love the project, it’s getting there, it’s been a lot of work; some movies take five, six years before they’re ready.”

Will Arad give these video Game movies the kind of reputation the earlier comic book movies gained when he was producing them? Hit the comments!