Ubisoft is teaming up with Netflix to develop its hit video game series Assassin’s Creed into a live-action series.
Assassin’s Creed is one of the video game industry’s most successful franchises. The series, which kicked off in 2007, tells the story of an ancient war between two secret societies: Assassins and the Knights Templar. The game’s deep mythology spans centuries. It usually sees the Assassins fighting to stop the Templars from attaining a powerful artifact that will grant them global domination.
The franchise’s complex backstory has more bizarre twists and turns than a telenovela on LSD. But that’s also the live-action series’ secret weapon. The beauty of Assassin’s Creed is that you can’t box it into any one genre. While these games appear to take place in the past, these historical settings are misleading. Assassin’s Creed is, in fact, a modern-day sci-fi tale.
The series begins in the present day and focuses on the Assassins and Templars’ descendants. Using an advanced machine called an Animus, scientists can scan people’s DNA to unlock their ancestor’s memories.
This malleable premise allows the story to jump back and forth throughout history’s most intriguing eras. The games take place in ancient Egypt, during the crusades, and even on a pirate ship voyaging the Caribbean. Assassin’s Creed’s future showrunner can take the program in countless directions while staying true to the series’ mythology.
Assassin’s Creed made its debut in 2007 and sold over 155 million units worldwide. At this point, the series features too many characters, storylines, and iconic moments to pack into a single TV series. So fans should be excited to hear that Netflix will develop more live-action, animated, and anime Assassin’s Creed programming.
Netflix found massive success with its previous live-action video game adaptation, The Witcher. So it’s no surprise that the company doubled down on adapting video game content. In addition to developing a The Witcher spinoff, the streaming giant also announced its adapting Capcom’s Resident Evil series into a TV show.
Netflix’s VP Original Series Peter Friedlander had this to say,
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.
Justin Kurzel’s 2016 Assassin’s Creed adaptation went out its way to squander the franchise’s massive potential. If I had to pitch this adaptation to Netflix, all I would need to do is drop one question. What if Indiana Jones was also a ninja? That right there sums up this fantastic series. Who doesn’t want to experience ninja Indiana Jones?
Hopefully, Netflix’s adaptation actually taps into what fans love about this hit franchise.
