Assassin's Creed Fans Just Got Great News
The Assassin's Creed franchise has been hugely popular with gamers for over a decade, mostly due to the games' immersive storytelling and lush historical settings. Thanks to this series, players were able to explore worlds which they could not experience anywhere else: Renaissance Italy, ancient Egypt, Victorian London, and the American Revolution, among many others. Soon they can add Vikings and early British history to the list, with the release of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla on Nov. 10.
Now fans have received word that Assassin's Creed is coming to Netflix. The streaming service released a statement saying it has teamed up with Ubisoft to develop a number of projects based on the epic adventure series. The first project in development is a live-action series, headed by Executive Producers Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik. Altman is the head of Ubisoft Film and Television, the company that also helmed the 2016 film Assassin's Creed.
"We are 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," said Altman. In addition, Netflix Vice President Peter Friedlander stated: "We're excited to partner with Ubisoft and bring to life the rich, multi-layered storytelling that Assassin's Creed is beloved for . . . 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."
Ubisoft also has a number of other game-to-television adaptations in development, including Tom Clancy's The Division and Ghost Recon.
This isn't the first game franchise adaption for Netflix — the anime series Castlevania, which has enjoyed a run of three seasons thus far, is also on the streaming site. Fans can also expect a Cuphead animated series, and there are plans for a Resident Evil series in the works. Along with the live action Assassin's Creed series, Netflix may have future plans to adapt the Assassin's Creed series into other forms as well.
"Under the agreement, Netflix and Ubisoft will tap into the iconic video game's trove of dynamic stories with global mass appeal for adaptations of live action, animated, and anime series," the Netflix statement said.
Assassin's Creed games have managed to seamlessly blend sci-fi and historic fiction to create a series of memorable adventures, along with unforgettable characters. The games chronicle the ongoing war between the order of Assassins and the Templars, which began centuries ago and has continued into the modern era.
Throughout the series, the modern-day Assassins utilize the Animus, a technological marvel that allows them to explore imperative historical events using "genetic memories." The most well-known protagonist of the series, Desmond Miles, used the Animus to explore the memories of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Desmond was featured across several of the games, including Assassin's Creed 1-3 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.
Because of his involvement in the franchise's storyline, it isn't too far off to speculate that Desmond may be the starring characters of the live-action series. However, in its press release, Netflix described the upcoming live action series as "an epic, gender-bending" adventure — a mysterious choice of words. Can fans then expect that the main protagonist will be female? If so, will they be based on a character we've already met in the franchise, or will a brand new character be introduced? Or — just maybe — it can be speculated that whomever goes into the Animus will be reliving the genetic memories of an ancestor of the opposite sex?
If so, this occurrence wouldn't be unprecedented; in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Assassins' member Layla Hassan was given the choice to enter the Animus as either Kassandra or Alexios. However, this is all just speculation at this point. There has been no confirmation as to what the story for the live action series will be, or who will star. The series is also still in need of a showrunner.
With so many options available, it's impossible to say for certain what the setting of the newest Netflix adaptation series will be. Will fans get to see Ezio in the flesh, living out the epic tale of the "trilogy"? Or will the show introduce completely new characters, or historical eras and places that fans of Assassin's Creed haven't yet seen? Will there be the appearance of iconic historical figures that fans have come to expect in the games, such as Leonardo Di Vinci, Queen Victoria, and Socrates?
It will likely be a while before these questions will be answered, but in the meantime, Assassin's Creed fans can dream of the possibilities.