Netflix Is Going to Try to Make Live-Action ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Happen Again

In what might be the biggest flex from a streamer to assert dominance in the video game adaptation space, Netflix has announced that its next venture will be to create a live-action adaptation of Ubisoft’s megapopular series, Assassin’s Creed.

In a press release, Netflix announced that its live-action Assassin’s Creed series will be helmed by Emmy nominees Roberto Patino and David Wiener, who respectively worked on shows like Westworld, Sons of Anarchy, and Paramount’s own video game adaptation of Halo. While Netflix has yet to disclose any plot details for the project, it has confirmed that the series has been in development for nearly five years, with the project first being announced in 2020.

“We’ve been fans of Assassin’s Creed since its release in 2007. Every day we work on this show, we come away excited and humbled by the possibilities that Assassin’s Creed opens to us,” Wiener and Patino wrote in a joint statement. “Beneath the scope, the spectacle, the parkour, and the thrills is a baseline for the most essential kind of human story—about people searching for purpose, struggling with questions of identity and destiny and faith. It is about power and violence and sex and greed and vengeance.”

They continued, “But more than anything, this is a show about the value of human connection, across cultures, across time. And it’s about what we stand to lose as a species, when those connections break. We’ve got an amazing team behind us with the folks at Ubisoft and our champions at Netflix, and we’re committed to creating something undeniable for fans all over the planet.”

Based on Ubisoft’s 2007 game, Assassin’s Creed is a historical action-adventure game that follows the exploits of a secret order of Assassins who, throughout time, have influenced key historical events. The series, which has spawned a total of 14 games since its inception, has seen its heroes play pivotal roles in events from the Revolutionary War, Ancient Egypt, and the Sengoku Period, with its latest entry, Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

As many Assassin’s Creed fans will know, this isn’t the first time that a live-action adaptation has been attempted. Back in 2016, 20th Century Fox’s Michael Fassbender-led film tried to bring the sci-fi action fanfare to the silver screen, but despite Fassbender’s affinity for the games, it failed to wow fans or the box office.

Regardless of what’s ostensibly gaming’s golden goose, failing to nail its landing in live-action territory, Netflix executives, who in the same press release signaled toward past triumphs with Castlevania, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Arcane, aren’t shying away from the challenge of doing better by the series than past attempts to adapt it.

“When we first announced our partnership with Ubisoft in 2020, we set out with an ambitious goal to bring the rich, expansive world of Assassin’s Creed to life in bold new ways,” Peter Friedlander, Netflix’s Vice President, wrote. “Now, after years of dedicated collaboration, it’s inspiring to see just how far that vision has come. Guided by the deft hands of Roberto Patino and David Wiener, the team has carefully crafted an epic adventure that both honors the legacy of the Assassin’s Creed franchise and invites longtime fans and newcomers alike to experience the thrill of the Brotherhood as never before.”

“We are so excited to work alongside Roberto, David, and our Netflix partners to bring this beloved franchise to series,” Margaret Boykin, executive producer and head of content at Ubisoft Film and Television, added. “We look forward to delivering an experience that speaks to the heart of what fans love about Assassin’s Creed, while introducing its unforgettable worlds and timeless themes to new audiences worldwide.”

As with everything live-action video game adaptation-related, time will tell whether the optimistic disposition of its executives shines through once Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed adaptation graces the screens of its once-bitten-twice-shy viewers.

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