The assassins creed movie, due for release in theatres 21st December 2016, will be directed by Justin Kurzel and will star Michael Fassbender (pictured below), Marion Cotillard, Ariane Labed and Michael K. Williams. Filming for the movie will commence this September, with the movie reportedly set during the sometime during the Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834), with Fassbender playing both the role of a Spanish assassin called Aguilar de Agarorobo, and his modern day descendant Michael Lynch, whom is being used by the Templar Order to further their cause – much in the same way as Desmond Miles was used in the first game. Speaking to IGN last year this is what star Fassbender had to say about the movie...
Before appearing in X-Men: First Class and Prometheus, Fassbender starred in 300!
"You know, we absolutely want to respect the game. There's so much cool stuff in the game that we're actually spoiled for choice in terms of what we can use and what we can't, but we also want to bring new elements to it and perhaps our own version of things that already exist in the game. But we're definitely making a feature film, and we're approaching it as a feature film, as opposed to approaching it as a video game. But I love the world... When I met up with the guys from Ubisoft and they started to explain this whole world and the idea of DNA memory – you know, I think it's a very feasible scientific theory. I just thought, 'This is so rich,' and about the possibility of it being this cinematic experience. So I'm really excited about it, and we're working very hard to make sure that we've got the best and most exciting, original package."
Fans of the series will know that throughout the franchise numerous historical protagonists have been presented to us, some impacting much more with audiences than others. This is possible due to the games use of of the Animus, a virtual reality device that allows users to relive the memories of their ancestors, which is inexplicably somehow stored in our DNA. In the games it also revealed that throughout history the Assassins Creed and Templar Order have been waging a covert war against each other to gain control of Precursor Artefacts, relics from an alien race that visited earth and helped the evolution of mankind through genetic manipulation. The Creed are the good guys, fighting for freedom and free will, with the Templar's goal to control and subjugate civilians.
Many fans assumed Fassbender would play original protagonist Altair!
As a fan of the series I feel partially let down by the premise reported to be filmed in a couple of months time. While I understand that the film-makers want to use new characters and explore aspects of the universe separate yet parallel to those shown within the game, it would be nice to see at least one of the games protagonists feature. Ezio Auditore da Firenze is probably the franchises most well known, and definitely the franchises most loved character. Having Ezio (pre-Revelations, post Brotherhood) train and introduce Michael Fassbender's Spanish character into the Creed would be a fitting love letter to the fans, whom have not seen Ezio since his last adventure in 2011's Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and the tear jerking animated short Assassin's Creed: Embers.
Bringing Ezio to the big screen would please many Assassin's Creed fans!
While its possible that the film-makers have in fact worked Ezio into their story, with the character born in 1459, we suspect that Ezio will unfortunately not make an appearance in the live action, big screen movie. We can hope that the movie features plenty of assassinations, well choreographed sword fights, plenty of free-running, climbing and leaping (of faith), with an insightful script that plays the fine line between historical fact and the narrative of the franchise.
