EXCLUSIVE: The last days of the legendary video game studio BioWare will be told in a documentary by Shane Fennessey and Adam Scorgie for the Canadian channel Super Channel.
Massive Effect: The BioWare Story will document how the Edmonton, Canada-based gaming company went from being founded in 1995 by three doctors – Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip – to selling 100 million copies of its role-playing games, including Mass effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age And Baldur’s Gate.
Written and directed by Akash Sherman (Clear) and co-produced by Canadian companies Fennessey Films and Score G Productions, the film offers a unique insight into the story, with filming beginning two years before Electronic Arts announced the closure of BioWare on October 21 and continuing to film throughout.
This allowed filmmakers to capture BioWare’s final chapter, as news of the studio’s closure reverberated throughout the video game industry. EA has decided to close its studio, known for its complex narratives and world-building, after recent releases underperformed, and 400 jobs have been cut.
Muzyka, Zeschuk and Yip will feature in the film, alongside a plethora of major players from the gaming world. These include Douglas Reilly, vice president of Lucasfilm Games; John Riccitiello, former CEO of Electronic Arts; Casey Hudson, Game Director of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic And Mass effect; Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards; Victor Lucas, creator of The electric playground; actress Jennifer Hale; and longtime BioWare developers Mark Darrah, David Gaider, Drew Karpyshyn, Aaryn Flynn, Mac Walters, Trent Oster, James Ohlen and Caroline Livingstone.
“When the production team asked our blessing to tell BioWare’s story, we were honored and deeply moved,” BioWare co-founders Muzyka and Zeschuk said in a statement. “BioWare was never just about the logo or the building. It was about the stories told by the extraordinary people on our development teams and the fans who championed these worlds, championed them, and pushed them forward. We’re proud that this film pays homage to those who made it all possible. The best stories never truly end. They live in our memories, waiting for someone to take them up.”
A website was also created for the BioWare community to share photos, videos and explain how the company has touched their lives, for a chance to appear in the film. “BioWare fans have been a part of its journey since the very first game,” said Scorgie. “It’s only fitting that they help us tell the rest of the story.”
“The founders of BioWare are my hometown heroes,” added writer/director Sherman. “It is a privilege and a responsibility to share the journey of underdogs who came together to create a deeply beloved narrative. Their golden age lit a spark in me and an entire generation. With the recent closure of the studio, the film now stands as a profound tribute.”
Canadian broadcaster Super Channel has commissioned the documentary, which is slated for a major film festival and world premiere next year. Jhod Cardinal of Upstream Flix manages global sales. The Canada Media Fund supported the production.
“We are delighted to bring Massive Effect: The BioWare Story to Canadian audiences,” said Kim Ball, executive vice president of content and communications for Super Channel. “As an Edmonton-based company, we are especially proud to celebrate the extraordinary history of BioWare, as well as the people, creativity and groundbreaking storytelling behind some of the most beloved games of a generation.”
Producers Fennessey Films and Score G are behind projects like Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story, Dolph: Unbreakable, Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo, Breaking the Olympia, Singhs in the ring And The Big Ones.
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