Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has claimed the company’s decision to place Assassin’s Creed on a one-year hiatus will ultimately benefit Justin Kurzel’s upcoming live-action adaptation.
Reflecting on yesterday’s financial report, where the mega-publisher confirmed that the blockbuster franchise will skip 2016 after all, Guillemot noted that the movie has been afforded more breathing room as a result. Not only that, by not releasing a new Assassin’s Creed in late October, the marketing team at Ubisoft will be able to direct more resources toward promoting Justin Kurzel’s historical actioner.
“The movie guys are extremely happy we don’t have a new game because they will have the full-year marketing space and they feel they will be able to do a better job at promoting the movie. With the great production expertise of New Regency and the fantastic marketing and distribution power of 20th Century Fox, the Assassin’s Creed movie has the potential to be one of the biggest blockbusters of 2016.”
Reuniting with their Macbeth director for the feature film are Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender, with the latter on board to assume the dual role of Callum Lynch/Aguilar. Thrusting Fassbender’s character back in time to 15th Century Spain, Assassin’s Creed won’t directly reference the lore of Ubisoft’s video game juggernaut, though there are nascent plans to hatch a cinematic franchise should Kurzel’s flick prove a success.
Placing a heavy emphasis on practical effects – the director’s feature used “very little green screen” – Assassin’s Creed will swan dive into theaters on December 21.