
'Mass Effect' Series Moving Forward With 'Star Trek' Writer
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
All the way back in June 2021, "Mass Effect: Legendary Edition" project director Marc Walters told Business Insider that it was "not a matter of if, but when" that "Mass Effect" was adapted to the screen. That "when" just got a lot closer with the hiring of a showrunner.
Deadline reports that Amazon MGM Studios, which has been working on developing a "Mass Effect" series since 2021, has hired "Star Trek Beyond" writer Doug Jung as showrunner of the project.
Read More: Everything We Know About Netflix's Season 4 of 'Ginny & Georgia'
Jung's other credits include "The Cloverfield Paradox" and more recently the Jason Momoa-led Apple TV+ series "Chief of War". He also wrote for "Mindhunter", "Big Love", and extensively for the crime drama "Dark Blue".
Key art for Mass Effect shows Commander Shepard and his allies against a space backdrop
Key art for Mass Effect shows Commander Shepard and his allies against a space backdrop
Electronic Arts
Jung will be working alongside Dan Casey, who Deadline reports has already been writing for the project for the past year.
Jung and Casey will produce. Also producing are Ari Arad and Emmy Yu of Arad Productions, Michael Gamble of Electronic Arts, and Karim Zreik of Cedar Tree Productions.
The first "Mass Effect" game was released in 2007, putting the player in control of Commander Shepard, a human soldier who finds himself on a quest to stop the ancient, malevolent A.I. villains known as the Reapers.
Shepard's story was told in a total of three games, and then in 2017 came a story following a brand new group of heroes, "Mass Effect: Andromeda". Along the way were the mobile games "Mass Effect Galaxy" and "Mass Effect Infiltrator".
Perhaps one of the biggest and obvious questions fans will want to have answered about the "Mass Effect" adaptation - assuming it adapts the story of the original game trilogy - is what gender Commander Shepard will be.
The "Mass Effect" games are known for letting players make big choices that impact the outcome of the games, including the gender of the hero.
The games also present the players with choices that can mean the life or death of many of the story's chief characters.
Of course, there's no guarantee that the "Mass Effect" TV series will adapt the original trilogy. Like most popular video game franchises, "Mass Effect" is still expanding. "Andromeda" took the story in another direction and there is a fifth installment on the way.
More TV:
Alien: Earth Trailer Channels the Terror of the Original 1979 Classic
Peacock Fumbles 'Love Island USA' Premiere—Here's the Schedule Ahead
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Trump Canceling Musk's SpaceX Contracts Could Force US Closer to Russia
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As President Donald Trump threatens to cancel SpaceX's government contracts amid a feud with Elon Musk, experts told Newsweek that the move could leave the U.S. reliant on Russia for space launches and access. "SpaceX is immensely important to U.S. national security and NASA," Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Aerospace Security Project, told Newsweek on Friday, adding that if the contracts are terminated, "NASA would again have to turn to Russia to get to and from the [International] Space Station [ISS]." Why It Matters NASA and SpaceX have built one of the most significant public-private partnerships in modern space exploration. Since 2015, SpaceX has received more than $13 billion in NASA contracts, making it one of the agency's largest private partners. SpaceX is deeply integrated into U.S. national security and the space program, with Swope telling Newsweek: "SpaceX is not like the appendix but a vital organ in everything the United States is doing in space." Musk, the SpaceX CEO and former Trump ally heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), clashed publicly with the president on Thursday in a heated exchange on social media. The dispute began over Musk's criticism of a Trump-backed spending bill and escalated into threats over federal contracts and allegations involving Trump's ties to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva What To Know On Thursday, the president threatened termination of Musk's various contracts, writing in a Truth Social post: "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts." SpaceX holds billions of dollars in NASA contracts and plays a key role in the U.S. space program. While several experts told Newsweek they don't believe the contracts will be canceled, they raised concerns about the company's outsized influence on the industry and the critical gaps it could leave. Access To The ISS "SpaceX is immensely important to U.S. national security and NASA. SpaceX is not like the appendix, but a vital organ in everything the United States is doing in space," Swope said Friday in an emailed statement. "Ending work with SpaceX would leave a huge gap that cannot be filled with the other options available today. The biggest impacts would be to space launch and maintaining the International Space Stations. NASA would again have to turn to Russia to get to and from the space station." In 2014, SpaceX was selected to provide crew launch services to the ISS through the development of Crew Dragon, a capsule that transports astronauts to and from the ISS, and its operational missions. NASA has no other way to independently get to and from the ISS without SpaceX. As a result of this and other measures, Scott Hubbard, former director of NASA's Ames Research Center, the first Mars program director and the founder of NASA's Astrobiology Institute, told Newsweek that he doesn't believe Trump's threats will be realized, saying: "There is no alternative to the F9-Dragon combination at present. "He would be stranding astronauts on the ISS unless he wants to go hat in hand to the Russians and try to get more Soyuz flight," in reference to the spacecraft that provides crewed transport to the ISS. Russia, formerly part of the Soviet Union, and the U.S. have long been in a space race. Russia is actively developing its own space station, known as the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS), to succeed the ISS, which is set to retire in 2030. Construction on the proposed project is set to begin in 2027. Laura Forczyk, founder of space consulting firm Astralytical, told Newsweek that while it's possible the U.S. may negotiate a contract with Russia to launch astronauts to the ISS, "the current geopolitical climate would make that difficult." Tensions between Washington and Moscow remain high as ceasefire talks for the Russia-Ukraine war have stalled, with the last round of negotiations lasting just 90 minutes with little progress. Adding to the tension, Dmitry Novikov, first deputy chairman of Russia's State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told the state-run outlet TASS on Friday that while he doesn't believe Musk will need political asylum, "if he did, Russia, of course, could provide it." Stateside, space experts largely agree that Musk essentially has a "monopoly" on the industry, responsible for key people movement and launching "more than 90 percent of the U.S. satellites into space," Darrell West, a senior fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, told Newsweek. While companies like Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Boeing are also involved in spaceflight, they don't operate at the same capacity as SpaceX or hold the same number and type of government contracts. Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the University of Mississippi's Center for Air and Space Law, told Newsweek in an email: "Certainly, there are other launch service providers but SpaceX remains dominant and the time it would take to replace all services would delay many important missions and strategic plans, including the proposed Golden Dome." She added that "U.S. reliance on SpaceX is not borne of favoritism but of necessity and efficiency." Aspects Of The Space Program Space research and exploration go beyond science. They are central to U.S. national security. The Department of Defense holds multiple contracts to launch satellites used for GPS, intelligence gathering and military coordination. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union fiercely competed for dominance in space, viewing it as a critical domain of defense. "Space is important as an end in itself in terms of exploring and gaining new knowledge. But it also is taking on a defense role, because space is getting militarized. There are both offensive and defensive weapons that could be put into space," West said. "There's a lot riding on this relationship. People are worried if there is a major war, adversaries could shoot down our satellites and destroy our GPS systems and mobile communications." Beyond high-profile rocket launches and missions to the ISS, the U.S. space program encompasses a wide range of activities, including deploying space-based science observatories, launching lunar landers and preparing crewed and uncrewed missions to the moon and other planets, among other initiatives. What Happens Next When Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment on Friday, it was referred to NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens' statement, which was emailed to Newsweek. "NASA will continue to execute upon the President's vision for the future of space," Stevens said. "We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the President's objectives in space are met." Given the volatile nature of their feud, it remains unclear whether Trump will attempt to cancel existing contracts or limit future deals, or whether Musk could pull SpaceX out of its government commitments altogether.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tapping into the sixth sense of resilience: Resilient Magazine to celebrate sixth year
SAVANAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A magazine produced right here in Savannah is celebrating their sixth year. Resilient Magazine works to highlight the resilience of women, entrepreneurs from all walks of life and the roles Black women play in the prevalence and relevance of culture. 'Throughout each issue, you will find stories of women who are RESILIENT in their walk, their thoughts, and their actions,' the magazine said. They've been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network, Tv One and Apple TV. Founder Teia Acker-Moore will join WSAV News 3 on Monday at 11 a.m. To purchase this month's addition or get a monthly subscription, click or tap here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Sinners' bonus feature, ‘Good Night' live, Sabrina's song of the summer, ‘Fantastic Four' theme, and what to stream this weekend
Welcome to , your VIP guide to the best of pop culture for the weekend ahead, curated by the Gold Derby team of experts. (June 6-June 8) , Ryan Coogler's cinema-saving horror epic, is now available to rent or buy on VOD platforms like Amazon. Michael B. Jordan stars as Smoke and Stack, identical twin charming criminals who open up a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi. Everything is going great, until the vampires show up. It's a heady mix of horror, crime, comedy, drama, sex, blues music, Black ownership, family, and a bunch of other genres and themes that makes for the year's most exciting and important movie. Check out one of the bonus features, titled "Thicker Than Blood" and available digitally and on the upcoming 4K disc release, showing how Jordan got into character(s): More from GoldDerby 'Sinners' bonus feature: See how the gnarly makeup effects came to life Danya Taymor could make Tony Awards history with a win for 'John Proctor Is the Villain' How 'Severance' creates Lumon's 'manufactured perfection' through VFX After more than two years, we're finally heading back to Wellsbury. And you don't want to miss it. The third season of Netflix's beloved dramedy Ginny & Georgia (now streaming) picks up in the aftermath of the events of the shocking Season 2 finale, which saw Georgia (Brianne Howey) arrested for murder during her wedding to Paul (Scott Porter), the affable town mayor. So, how does a show — and a family — come back from that? By sticking together, obviously. In Season 3, with Georgia under house arrest and awaiting trial, Ginny (Antonia Gentry) finds herself forced to set aside the central duo's differences and fight for her family on multiple fronts, including waging battles against those she never expected. These 10 episodes are a turning point, not just for the show, but for the two dynamic women at its center as well. So, with this compelling new chapter, Ginny & Georgia is the awards contender to watch this weekend. However, if complicated mother-daughter relationships aren't up your alley, other contenders include: Ocean With David Attenborough: Save the cheerleader Save the ocean, save the world. That's the sentiment behind National Geographic's new feature-length special, which sees multi-time Emmy winner and world renowned naturalist David Attenborough take viewers beneath the waves to explore our planet's diverse, yet interconnected, marine ecosystems. As has become the norm for nature documentaries over the last decade (or more), Ocean focuses heavily on the threats that the deep blue sea faces due to humanity's hostile influence, but it also highlights inspirational stories that reveal all hope may not be lost, if we take action now. The documentary airs Saturday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Nat Geo. It streams the next day on Hulu and Disney+. Good Night, and Good Luck: It's not often we get to experience television history in this day and age, but this weekend marks the first time a Broadway production will be broadcast live on television. The Tony-nominated play starring George Clooney, which was adapted from the 2005 Oscar-nominated film written by Clooney and Grant Heslov, will air its penultimate performance. The play tells the story of veteran journalist Edward R. Murrow taking on Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare of the 1950s. The performance airs Saturday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on CNN. It will stream on CNN's website, as well as Max. The 78th Annual Tony Awards: If you need more theater in your life after watching Clooney do his thing (who doesn't?), then you're in luck! The Tony Awards — arguably the best of the major awards shows thanks to the rousing live performances that give it non-stop energy — will honor the best of the stage. Cynthia Erivo hosts the spectacle, which features performances by the casts of Gypsy, Sunset Boulevard, Just in Time, Death Becomes Her, and more. As a bonus, the original cast of Hamilton is reuniting to celebrate the show's 10th anniversary (doesn't it feel much longer?). The telecast airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. It will stream on Paramount+. We're not cooking the books — our top pick for a movie to stream this weekend is . Ben Affleck reprises his role as Christian Wolff, an autistic man who's a genius with numbers and also really good with guns. He works as an accountant for criminal organizations while also serving as an informant for the Treasury's financial crimes division. In The Accountant 2, Affleck is joined by Jon Bernthal as Christian's soldier-for-hire brother Braxton, who had a small role in the first film but gets bumped up to basically co-lead here. When Christian needs help with a job, he calls on his estranged brother, and they reconnect as they go on a gun-toting road trip together. It's literally Rain Man as an action thriller. It's funnier than the original, and Affleck and Bernthal are very entertaining together. After a modest theatrical run, it's now streaming on Prime Video, which makes sense; it's very much in the same vein as the Road House remake, one of the streaming service's biggest original hits. If you're math-phobic, here are some other movies to stream or watch on-demand this weekend: : Director Dan Trachtenberg's quest to revitalize the Predator franchise continues with this animated feature that's now streaming on Hulu. The bloody action flick is something of an anthology movie, as warriors from various time periods — a Viking, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a World War II pilot — go up against a Predator alien who sees them as a challenge. It's Trachtenberg's second released Predator movie, after 2022's cult favorite Prey, and will be followed by live-action thriller Predator: Badlands later this year. : Robert De Niro and Robert De Niro star in this Mafia drama. De Niro plays dual roles as 1950s mobsters Vito Genovese and Frank Costello as they fight for control of the Luciano family. It tells famous tales of Mafia history in a way you've seen many times before, but De Niro, screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas), and director Barry Sonnenfeld (Bugsy) know what they're doing. There are three actors from The Sopranos in the supporting cast — Kathrine Narducci, Michael Rispoli, and Matt Servitto — if that's something you take into account in deciding whether to watch a mob movie. The Alto Knights flopped in theaters but is looking to find a second life on Max. : Writer-director-producer Tyler Perry is back with a new Netflix drama. Taraji P. Henson stars as Janiyah, a woman at the end of her rope. She's a single mother having an exceptionally bad day. She gets evicted from her apartment, robbed, and disrespected everywhere she goes. She just needs to deposit her check at the bank so she can pay for her daughter's medicine, and when even that goes wrong, she ends up a suspect in a crime she didn't mean to commit, and it turns into a hostage situation. It's a film that empathizes with everyone who is just a few bad breaks away from calamity. The supporting cast includes Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, and Sinbad. A sure sign that the weather's changing is the arrival of fresh singles aiming to be the season-defining hit. And previous title-holder Sabrina Carpenter is throwing her hat back into the ring with "Manchild," a country-influenced ode to the dim men in her life with a little disco thrown into the mix. The video accompanying the release feels like a deliciously overstuffed trailer for an off-the-wall '70s road movie. Ahead of the release of "First Steps" on July 25, Marvel Studios have debuted composer Michael Giacchino's full main theme for the Fantastic Four. Sonically, the track is a mix of bright mid-century retro-futurism and some more spacey synth. Disney is also releasing the theme on a "Galactic Blue" 7-inch LP, which is available for pre-order here. Get your first listen below. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Talking Heads' first live performance, director Mike Mills (21st Century Women) has created the first music video for "Psycho Killer," off the band's debut studio album, Talking Heads: 77. Four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan stars in the video as a person slowly unraveling over the course of her daily routine. Best of GoldDerby 'Say Nothing' star Anthony Boyle on playing IRA activist Brendan Hughes: We 'get to the humanity as opposed to the mythology' Stephen King movies: 14 greatest films ranked worst to best The Making of 'The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day': PBS variety special 'comes from the heart' Click here to read the full article.