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Masi Oka Sets Up MMORPG Movie THE DEFENDERS

Posted: June 8th, 2009 at 2:08 pm

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Heroes” star Masi Oka has just set up “The Defenders” over at DreamWorks with “Star Trek” writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci producing, Gary Whitta (”The Book of Eli”) writing the script, and D.J. Caruso (”Eagle Eye”) potentially directing. I’m not sure what role this leaves Oka since the story doesn’t say he’s acting in it, co-producing, co-writing, or if he’s active in any capacity other than developing the idea.

The idea: “The story centers on a group of mostly teenagers from around the world who are involved in a multiplayer video game, each unaware of who they really are behind the cover of their consoles and avatars. They are forced to come together for a real adventure, becoming inadvertent heroes in the process.” Also, the teenagers who say they’re hot women and have a busty elf as their avatar should actually be ugly dudes. Naw, I’m just kidding. This is totally gonna play into a geek fantasy and some gorgeous chick is going to be a hardcore gamer*.

Honestly, it seems like a fun idea since Orci and Kurtzman want to make a film in the vein of the old Amblin movies like “The Goonies” and Oka asks the cool question of “What if you had to live up to the person you created in the virtual world?” Cynically, I’d say you’d fail completely and be revealed for the failure that you are. The movie will probably come to a different conclusion.

*Yes, I know there are hardcore gamers that are gorgeous women. It’s just that the aforementioned hideous dudes are far more common.