From the get-go, 20th Century Fox and New Regency have made it their mission to render an Assassin’s Creed movie that’s faithful to the original video game franchise. Much of that strategy can be traced back to the involvement of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, a newfound arm of the French mega-publisher designed to foster live-action adaptations of its portfolio, and fans can look forward to the likes of The Division and even Splinter Cell making the journey to the silver screen in the coming years.
But make no mistake, Assassin’s Creed is acting as ground zero for Ubisoft, and with only two weeks to go until its theatrical release, two new trailers have now found their way online. The first is an international sizzle reel in which you’ll find a sliver of new footage, while the second ushers the Templars into the light. They’re the clandestine organization that have long served as the primary antagonists of the AC series, and here we see their tentacles permeating Abstergo Industries, a modern-day front for the Templars.
Lending a face to that nefarious corporation is Jeremy Irons, who can be seen here clutching onto the Apple of Eden, the all-powerful MacGuffin that has pretty much anchored the Assassin’s Creed saga from the beginning, regardless of which historical era Ubisoft situates its action flagship. More than anything else, it’s another pointed reminder of just how faithful Justin Kurzel’s adaptation is to the source material, but will it pay off?
Assassin’s Creed swoops into theaters on December 21. Can it succeed where other video game movies have faltered? We’ll find out in two weeks’ time when Marion Cotillard, Ariane Labed, Charlotte Rampling, Matias Varela, Brendan Gleeson and Michael K. Williams will round out the ensemble.
