If you know me you’ll be aware that I’m a huge fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, with the latest release Assassin’s Creed Shadows being one of my favourites. The IP has obviously had it’s fair share of ups and downs, including the ill-fated Michael Fassbender movie from 2016, a movie which I think had some promise but there were key errors in its execution. Let’s hope the next time we see Assassin’s Creed outside of video games it fairs better. The good news is we shouldn’t be waiting too long to find out.
Earlier today, Netflix officially announce a live-action series for Assassin’s Creed. Emmy nominees Roberto Patino (DMZ, Westworld, Sons of Anarchy) and David Wiener (Halo, Homecoming, The Killing) set as creators, showrunners, and executive producers for the series.
Margaret Boykin, executive producer and head of content at Ubisoft Film & Television had said the following regarding today’s announcement:
“We are so excited to work alongside Roberto, David, and our Netflix partners to bring this beloved franchise to series.”
“We look forward to delivering an experience that speaks to the heart of what fans love about Assassin’s Creed, while introducing its unforgettable worlds and timeless themes to new audiences worldwide.”
Weiner and Patino have also put out a joint statement following the announcement:
“We’ve been fans of Assassin’s Creed since its release in 2007. Every day we work on this show, we come away excited and humbled by the possibilities that Assassin’s Creed opens to us.”
“Beneath the scope, the spectacle, the parkour and the thrills is a baseline for the most essential kind of human story – about people searching for purpose, struggling with questions of identity and destiny and faith. It is about power and violence and sex and greed and vengeance. But more than anything, this is a show about the value of human connection, across cultures, across time. And it’s about what we stand to lose as a species, when those connections break. We’ve got an amazing team behind us with the folks at Ubisoft and our champions at Netflix, and we’re committed to creating something undeniable for fans all over the planet.”
They are saying the right things and if they are truly fans that have a familiarity with the IP, it gives me hope that this live-action Assassin’s Creed series could be the adaptation fans have been waiting for.
Netflix has their work cut out for them to get this right, as one of the major gaming IPs we’ve seen what can happen if you don’t do them justice *coughs* Halo. We also know how lucrative they can be when done correctly.
Here’s what Netflix had to say about the Assassin’s Creed live-action series:
“When we first announced our partnership with Ubisoft in 2020, we set out with an ambitious goal to bring the rich, expansive world of Assassin’s Creed to life in bold new ways,” said Peter Friedlander, Netflix’s Vice President, Scripted Series. “Now, after years of dedicated collaboration, it’s inspiring to see just how far that vision has come. Guided by the deft hands of Roberto Patino and David Wiener, the team has carefully crafted an epic adventure that both honors the legacy of the Assassin’s Creed franchise and invites long-time fans and newcomers alike to experience the thrill of the Brotherhood as never before.”
In 2020, Ubisoft and Netflix announced they entered into an agreement to develop content based on the globally popular Assassin’s Creed video game franchise. This live-action adaptation is the first series to be developed under the agreement. In addition to Wiener and Patino, the show is executive produced by Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, and Austin Dill for Ubisoft Film & Television, as well as Matt O’Toole.
Netflix will also be the home of the highly anticipated Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, coming out this fall.
