Dragon Age Anime Announced

BioWare's fantasy RPG franchise Dragon Age is to be adapted into an anime feature film, the developer announced today, created with anime distributor FUNimation.

"Anime is a great medium for us to continue the robust Dragon Age story," said Dragon Age franchise executive producer Mark Darrah in the announcement. Over on the FUNimation side of the partnership, CEO Gen Fukunaga promises "We are going to be bringing the classic visual and storytelling techniques found in anime to create a film that will extend the narrative of the world BioWare has created."

The first instalment in the franchise--2009's Dragon Age: Origins.

Darrah and BioWare creative director Mike Laidlaw will executive-produce the film, as will Fukunaga and FUNimation director of original entertainment Chris Moujaes.

Production was slated to begin in May, while the finished product will be released for "home video" at an unspecified point in 2011. An unnamed Dragon Age title is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2011 while an unknown something is due on February 1, 2011. The anime's release could well tie into--or be--one of these.

The movie rights to BioWare's sci-fi RPG series Mass Effect were recently picked up by the production company behind the movie adaptations of '300' and 'Watchmen.' 'I Am Legend' screenwriter Mark Protosevich is reportedly in talks to write the screenplay.