Following the disappointing misfires of Warcraft: The Beginning and Angry Birds: The Movie earlier in the year, all eyes are beginning to turn toward Assassin’s Creed in what could be a defining turning point for video game adaptations. At least, that’s the idea.
Thanks to the involvement of Justin Kurzel, Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard – the talented trio that last collaborated for Macbeth – 20th Century Fox and Ubisoft’s live-action feature has potential in spades, and practically every piece of footage to emerge from Assassin’s Creed drums up just how faithful Kurzel’s adaptation is – the stunts, the Spanish decor, the international ensemble.
Flanked by an all-star cast comprised of Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson and Michael K. Williams, the time-hopping story of December’s AC movie orbits around Fassbender’s Callum Lynch, a modern-day Average Joe who comes into contact with Abstergo Industries and, by effect, the all-powerful Animus, a device capable of transporting him back in time by tapping into the memories of his ancestors. It’s a bonkers premise, but strip away the head-scratching science and you’ll discover a movie template that can be reworked for almost any historical period, so it’s little wonder why both Fassbender and Kurzel are keen on a sequel.
Assassin’s Creed leaps into theaters on December 21 and will go up against Passengers, Sing and Peter Berg’s true-life thriller Patriots Day. Stiff competition, then, but can Justin Kurzel’s historical actioner make a big enough dent at the international box office to warrant early sequel chatter? Time will tell.
Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.