Scarlett Johansson may be playing a character in the upcoming film about the "Gamergate" controversy, which is the dark side of the video game culture that is rarely discussed, according to Cinema Blend. Reports say Johansson is "interested" in the role.
While many actresses have expressed their interest as well, it appears the "Lucy" actress is on top of the cast list to play video game developer Zoe Quinn in "Gamergate," according to Deadline.
Quinn currently has an unpublished memoir, "Crash Override: How to Save the Internet From Itself," detailing her experiences during the "Gamergate" controversy where she reportedly received abuse. It is due September 2016.
Last week, the book has had a movie rights bidding war, according to the BBC, and ex-Sony head Amy Pascal, who quit after the Wikileaks hack, has won the bid.
The working title for the "Gamergate" film, to be turned into film by Pascal Pictures, is "Control Alt Delete." Quinn reportedly confirmed the "Gamergate" film via tweet.
What is the Gamergate controversy all about?
According to Cinema Blend, the "Gamergate" controversy is a complex topic to describe as it has no concrete definition up to now.
Netizens and gamers have not agreed on what "Gamergate" stands for, whether it tackles misogynist harassment, ethics in gaming journalism, or even something else entirely.
The "Gamergate" controversy all began when Zoe Quinn, an independent game developer became famous after ex-boyfriend Eron Gjoni's 9,425-word blog post about her became viral in August 2014. It reportedly quoted the couple's relationship to detail, and included their personal chat logs, emails and text messages.
Due to the viral blog, Quinn received criticism online saying she went into a relationship with journalist Nathan Grayson in order to get coverage of her video game called "Depression Quest."
Under the hashtag #Gamergate, Quinn faced abuse on Reddit and 4chan. She reportedly got rape and death threats, as well as doxing, which means her personal information had been released online.
Apparently, several other women in the video game industry have received abuse.
Two announcements in one: 1 - I'm publishing a book with Touchstone, a Simon and Schuster imprint 2 - That book is being made into a movie
— Sugar Ray Jepsen (@TheQuinnspiracy) November 6, 2015
Because of the "Gamergate" controversy, many influential figures inside and outside the gaming industry have petitioned for better procedures to beat online harassment.
tfw you're waiting on a thing so you can make the biggest announcements of your career to date (and go back to bed) pic.twitter.com/DI19CkwCST — Sugar Ray Jepsen (@TheQuinnspiracy) November 6, 2015
Zoe Quinn's book, "Crash Override," was reportedly conceived from an online harassment support group she created with Alex Lifschitz in January. The group aims to fight online abuse geared towards females in the gaming industry.
Because of "Gamergate" being a touchy subject, anyone to take the role of Quinn, whether famous like Scarlett Johansson or not, would likely face backlash from both sides.
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