The Assassins Are Coming To Netflix
Popular video game company Ubisoft has shaken hands with streaming legend Netflix. What did they shake on? The proverbial cat’s been out of the bag only about a week and already there are fan-fuelled hopes, theories, and praises making the rounds online.
The “Assassin’s Creed” franchise has its own fan base. So when a big-news alert regarding them comes out, you can bet that daggers would fly. After all, the 2016 movie with the same name did not go down well in the books of fans all over the world.
Directed by Justin Kurzel and starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and Jeremy Irons, you’d think the film would have been a massive hit. Sadly, the storyline failed to live up to the standards set by the games it was based on, and it did not rise to the expectations of gamer-fans of this mighty franchise.
Granted, the movie did report a budget of $125 million and went on to gross over $240 million worldwide. But let’s be fair, fans care more for the story and the way it makes them feel, than how such numbers make investors turn all gooey with glee.
What’s The Deal?
Netflix and Ubisoft have decided on not just one series for “Assassin’s Creed”, but multiple shows that will implement various genres. We’re looking at animation, live-action, as well as an anime series, all based on this franchise favorite.
As the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In this case, it is going to be the very first series involving the secretive Creed. Netflix is hunting for a competent showrunner who will, hopefully, do justice to the historic storylines that have graced this particular set of games.
Executive producing the show are Ubisoft Film & Television’s own Danielle Kreinik and Jason Altman. In the latter’s own words to Variety magazine.
“For more than 10 years, millions of fans around the world have helped shape the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ brand into an iconic franchise. We’re thrilled to create an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series with Netflix and we look forward to developing the next saga in the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ universe.”
The Journey So Far
The game literally became an instant hit when it released in 2007. Its list of defined installments have since sold 155 million copies worldwide. The plot often puts the Assassins and the Templars into the same arena. Both of these secret societies, or orders, are rivals owing to how they see the world and how actively one tries to thwart the other from transforming society into a corrupt mess.
Much blood is spilled in their attempts to change the way the world is run. This story-thread does not look like it’s going to change colors for this brilliant open-world game, let alone the upcoming Netflix series. Using actual historical events with a little bit of ‘theatre’ thrown in, the franchise has proven how hypnotic they can be to new and old gamers alike.
The games have always relied on a metaphysical almost supernatural element in the form of ‘Animus’, a software that works on advanced mechanics and design to enable a company called ‘Abstergo’ to carry out gene-memory experiments on people.
These people are said to trace their blood origins back to various Assassins in civilization’s timeline. Such controversial access to genetic memories does not seem too far-fetched, what with our own current AI-driven tech.
Using such power, the games have shown how brutal and history-altering it can be in the race to actually enter past timelines to find mysterious artifacts called ‘Pieces of Eden’. This race is not exclusively for research purposes, but to use those artifacts to accrue unimaginable power in the modern world.
Ubisoft & Netflix – Projects in the Joint Pipeline
Keep in mind that Ubisoft has another ongoing deal with Netflix, this one involving their outstanding “Splinter Cell” games. An anime series for it is already in the works with “John Wick” writer Derek Kolstad on board.
The Ubisoft animated series “Rabbids Invasion” has already begun streaming. It is four seasons in, as of this writing. A movie is also getting ready to grace the Netflix screen. “The Division” stars Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal, and sounds lit already.
A Series Fraught With Possibilities
According to the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Netflix show’s vice-president, Peter Friedlander, “We’re excited to partner with Ubisoft and bring to life the rich, multilayered storytelling that ‘Assassin’s Creed’ is beloved for.
From its breathtaking historical worlds and massive global appeal as one of the best selling video game franchises of all time, we are committed to carefully crafting epic and thrilling entertainment based on this distinct IP and provide a deeper dive for fans and our members around the world to enjoy.”
His words hold great promise for not just fans but the future of this franchise. In an age where games lose lustre over time, a leap across the platform-rooftops into the realm of online streaming seems to be the perfect mission for a troupe of assassins desiring to live on in the hearts of both fans and creators.