Just when we’re ready to dismiss virtually every attempt at adapting a video game for the big screen as misguided, Michael Fassbender goes ahead at attaches himself to a production of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed … thereby ensuring it’s going to be fantastic.
Assassin’s Creed is one of those games that’s always at the center of a whirlwind of production rumors. Though many have stated an intent to make an Assassin’s Creed movie (with Sony being the latest to lay claim to the series), no one has been able to pull it off just yet.
The challenge lies in translating the game’s elaborate and historically accurate landscapes for the screen (without destroying a studio’s budget). For those unfamiliar with the game, Creed – and its various video game sequels – introduces us to Desmond Miles, an anti-hero of sorts who uses a revolutionary device dubbed The Animus to flash back in time and interact with his ancestors.
The games allow users to explore 12th Century Syria, Jerusalem, Damascus and more. Sequels expanded the reach of the universe – pulling in new characters and ordering them to explore new periods in different lands. The missions were elaborate, and the attention to period detail was staggering.
Variety now reports that Fassbender will star in and co-produce a version of the story with Ubisoft Motion Pictures. The company says it plans to package its Creed film together with a writer, director and star (in Fassbender) before taking the finished product to interested studios to possibly distribute. The plan to independently finance hopefully will allow Ubisoft to retain creative control over their popular franchise – and possibly prevent the tinkering that doomed almost every other video-game adaptation to date.
What do you think? Is Fassbender the right choice to don the recognizable hood of a Templar assassin in a Creed movie? Or is Ubisoft biting off more than it can chew by trying to bring the detailed world of its Creed universe to the big screen? In a virtual world, digital technology should be able to convincingly recreate the Creed world on screen. And Fassbender’s a fantastic choice for any role.
We’ll continue to track this project’s progress, which likely will be slow as the actor continues to film The Counselor (with Sir Ridley Scott), 12 Years a Slave (with Steve McQueen) and the upcoming X-Men sequel. But for now, Assassin’s Creed fans, do you like where this is heading?
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