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Assassin's Creed Is Probably Going to Be a Movie Now

Sony Pictures picks up the rights to Ubisoft's time-spanning sci-fi assassination series. Did I get in all the necessary descriptors?

Earlier this year, Ubisoft announced that it had had enough of the Hollywood system, and would form its own film studio, a sort of DIY bastion of quality that would ensure that any Ubisoft properties brought into the film world would be seen through with the proper level of care and creative effort. Now, news comes forth via Variety that a film based on arguably Ubisoft's biggest property, the Assassin's Creed franchise, is in the works. This news is very much in keeping with the spirit of Ubisoft's original announcement...except for the part where they apparently just want to sell the film rights to Sony Pictures.

Like this, except probably with Jason Statham.
Like this, except probably with Jason Statham.

Indeed, Sony has spearheaded the campaign to turn Assassin's Creed into an interactive tale of a time-spanning assassin's guild into a decidedly less-interactive version of that same thing. To be fair, Ubisoft Motion Pictures will be directly involved in this project, and will likely maintain significant creative control over the film. Sony's interest seems to be more as a distributor and marketing machine that will finance and hopefully profit from the project, while UMP does a lot of the creative heavy-lifting.

The deal is not 100% finalized, but all signs seem to be pointed in this becoming very much a thing. With that in mind, I ask of you, the engaged reader, what would you even want from an Assassin's Creed movie? The games themselves are incredibly cinematic, with the added bonus of allowing you, the viewer, to stab people interactively. Are you good with the idea of seeing rugged, handsome actors doing all the neck-stabbing for you? Or do you prefer to be in direct control of your neck-stabbing-based entertainments?

Alex Navarro on Google+

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alex

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Edited By alex

Earlier this year, Ubisoft announced that it had had enough of the Hollywood system, and would form its own film studio, a sort of DIY bastion of quality that would ensure that any Ubisoft properties brought into the film world would be seen through with the proper level of care and creative effort. Now, news comes forth via Variety that a film based on arguably Ubisoft's biggest property, the Assassin's Creed franchise, is in the works. This news is very much in keeping with the spirit of Ubisoft's original announcement...except for the part where they apparently just want to sell the film rights to Sony Pictures.

Like this, except probably with Jason Statham.
Like this, except probably with Jason Statham.

Indeed, Sony has spearheaded the campaign to turn Assassin's Creed into an interactive tale of a time-spanning assassin's guild into a decidedly less-interactive version of that same thing. To be fair, Ubisoft Motion Pictures will be directly involved in this project, and will likely maintain significant creative control over the film. Sony's interest seems to be more as a distributor and marketing machine that will finance and hopefully profit from the project, while UMP does a lot of the creative heavy-lifting.

The deal is not 100% finalized, but all signs seem to be pointed in this becoming very much a thing. With that in mind, I ask of you, the engaged reader, what would you even want from an Assassin's Creed movie? The games themselves are incredibly cinematic, with the added bonus of allowing you, the viewer, to stab people interactively. Are you good with the idea of seeing rugged, handsome actors doing all the neck-stabbing for you? Or do you prefer to be in direct control of your neck-stabbing-based entertainments?

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Wraxend

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Edited By Wraxend

Hell yeah. To be fair Sony Pictures isn't that bad these days.

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liquidmatt

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Edited By liquidmatt

I love this idea, if its done right, AC has all the narrative interest for a good film makeover

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Jordash995

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Edited By Jordash995

Sofa

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ABritishNerd

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Edited By ABritishNerd

Hope it's of the same quality as Lineage.

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ArbitraryWater

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Edited By ArbitraryWater

This could actually work as a movie. Of course, the key is to keep our standards low so that when it is bad we can say "We told you so", and if it actually manages to be good we can be pleasantly surprised.

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Contro

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Edited By Contro

I could see it working also.

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theodacourt

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Edited By theodacourt

@Jordash995 said:

Sofa

Totally.

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Nekroskop

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Edited By Nekroskop

Director: Uwe Boll

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scraz

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Edited By scraz

What ever ends up on screen would barley resemble the original content ala prince of persia.Still i wouldnt mind some good par core and stabing dudes on the neck UNH UNH UNH.

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hagridore

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Edited By hagridore

It will be PG-13 and not for us.

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galiant

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Edited By galiant

@ahaisthisourchance said:

Director: Uwe Boll

I'd watch it.

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zeforgotten

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Edited By zeforgotten

I've been wanting a movie based on Ezio for a long time but I also hoped it would be CGI since the guys creating the trailers for the games are fucking good at it.

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AhmadMetallic

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Edited By AhmadMetallic

Too cynical, Alex.

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xMP44x

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Edited By xMP44x

Presumably they're going to be using Oliver Bowden's alterations instead of the game world, since I can't see so much free-running appearing often even when it's cut down.

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Brendan

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Edited By Brendan

@scraz said:

What ever ends up on screen would barley resemble the original content ala prince of persia.Still i wouldnt mind some good par core and stabing dudes on the neck UNH UNH UNH.

:P

I agree that the movie will probably be harmless and predictable. I most likely won't be interested.

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sparklykiss

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Edited By sparklykiss

I will only see this movie if part of your assassin training has a line that teaches you the meaning of "uh uh uh uh uh."

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nightriff

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Edited By nightriff

Let me guess, it will be complete crap, few games should be movies like: Super Mario Bros., Mortal Kombat, and of course Doom

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c_sheridan

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Edited By c_sheridan

I doubt they leave much of the Eden stuff in, but I think that's the only way it would be interesting. Sort of an Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark thing for the Pieces of Eden.

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sensory

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Edited By sensory

It's quite a feat when one headline can make you rage quite this much.

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SamSharp505

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Edited By SamSharp505

Hey, maybe we should give it a chance :D

Haha, but honestly, I didn't mind those live action things they did a while back that much, I could kinda see it working?

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WJist

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Edited By WJist

I'm waiting for video game movies to get to the point where comic book movies are now.

And then we'll have games like Assassin's Creed: The Movie The Game and then I'll be sad.

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vortextk

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Edited By vortextk

Come on now Alex, probably is way too positive. You know this'll be just like bioshock in 5 years with people still trying to get it done. I know it, you know it.
 
As a great movie, I'd love it. However realistically as a movie based off a video game, at best I'll look back at it and go "well I kinda like it", like mortal kombat(first one) or silent hill. I think it's especially terrible to be based off a game with multiple sequels with tons of narrative threads going on over dozens of hours of play because instead of making a good movie length side story they will inevitably cram it full of everything they shouldn't be doing in 100 minutes and just throw action set pieces at us. Oh I guess it'll be PoP then, another ubisoft property.

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mustachioeugene

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Edited By mustachioeugene

Coming soon... Assassin's Creed; The Movie; The Game

Followed by Assasin's Creed; The Movie; The Game; The Ride. An interactive roller coaster experience!

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hermes

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Edited By hermes

I don't know how much of the story of AC can be translated to a movie.

Sure, every individual game story is pretty straightforward (I would even call AC2's story a remake of Count of Montecristo), but the overall story is just a bunch of conspiracy theories/Dan Brown stuff meshed together.

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cikame

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Edited By cikame

Liam Neeson.

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Andheez

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Edited By Andheez

Source material is excellent, will the movie be?

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Cybexx

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Edited By Cybexx

That Assassin's Creed 2 live action prequel short was pretty good. If that production team makes this movie it could be pretty awesome.

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ryanwho

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Edited By ryanwho

They could just avoid the future nonsense completely and make it about Ezio.

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Edited By ryanwho

@hagridore said:

It will be PG-13 and not for us.

Who the fuck are you? Plenty of people like games and like okay action movies. I was fine with Prince of Persia. Not everyone has a stick up their ass about movie adaptations not being loyal to some dumbass lore written by game writers.

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Subjugation

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Edited By Subjugation

They're gonna go all Prince of Persia on us and make the lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

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Toxin066

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Edited By Toxin066

I like how the article shows up on both sites. I think it's a little bit funny in a way. I'm a pretty big fan of the parkour/free running getaway scene in Bario 13, so if this ends up just being 90 minutes of that, I'm cool with it. Don't give me a story. Don't even give me character names. Just call the dude Assassin, have him run around, stab an important guy ("Requiescat in Pace" optional) and then have him run the fuck away from dudes for the rest of the film.

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Edited By fontainefellow

If it's gonna be PG-13, I'm not interested.

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Edited By TheMasterDS

Will you be able to turn the language to Italian if you want?

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Edited By AuthenticM

It certainly has potential.

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amoseem

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Edited By amoseem

When Marvel took care of thier film adaptations good things happened. Here's hoping the same can work here!

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TheKramer89

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Edited By TheKramer89

"...but all signs seem to be pointed in this becoming very much a thing."

goddamnit alex...

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Cornman89

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Edited By Cornman89

I wonder if they'll bother with the genetic memory angle at all.

All that First Civilization stuff plays in a video game, but I can see it coming off as just silly in a film.

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QKT

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Edited By QKT

they should make the film animated like their 'embers' thing

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chilibean_3

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Edited By chilibean_3

Assassin's Creed Is Probably Going to Be a Movie Now

You should probably add, "but, you know, probably not" at the end of that headline.

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Renahzor

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Edited By Renahzor

Here's hoping we see this on a future episode of TANG. Bonus if Ryan gives it Five "Uh's"

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tim_the_corsair

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Edited By tim_the_corsair

Jason Statham is Ezio Auditore.

"Awright you Templar cunts, lets fuckin do it"

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Snail

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Edited By Snail

If the movie has air assassinations that might be reason enough for me to see it - provided they are well-crafted in the movie.

I would also prefer if this movie focused in either the Altair story or that time-period, because

  • a) It would have none of the DaVinci shenanigans, and would probably be a "stealthier" movie
  • b) I much prefer the Altair character over Ezio

Quite honestly though, I won't be surprised if this sucks. I don't think I even expect it not to. Just - if you're gonna do this - air-assassinate fools at the very least.

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spilledmilkfactory

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Sounds good to me. Assassin's Creed has all of the narrative depth to make for a good movie, if handled properly. I'd rather see them do an original story than rehash the games though

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Greenlight13

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Edited By Greenlight13

I'm shocked this wasn't already on the list of movie games announced years ago that are never actually going to come to fruition.

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the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG

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Im not going to watch this...

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christobin

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Edited By christobin

I'm glad to hear that the people who brought me Mr. Caffeine have given up some control of this project.

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Edited By ajamafalous

To be honest, AC wouldn't be hard at all to translate to an action movie. 
 
I'm on board.

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FancySoapsMan

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Edited By FancySoapsMan

Sounds dumb.

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Edited By unsolvedparadox

Could be awesome, count me in!