Five years after first announcing their deal with Ubisoft, Netflix has finally officially greenlit a live-action adaptation of ‘Assassin’s Creed’, the globally renowned video game franchise that mixes historical drama with sci-fi twists and epic action.
Netflix first revealed plans to adapt the series back in 2020, but after a lengthy development period, the project is now moving forward with Emmy-nominated creatives Roberto Patino (DMZ, Westworld, Sons of Anarchy) and David Wiener (Halo, Homecoming, The Killing) on board as creators, showrunners, and executive producers.
A secret war between two rival factions unfolds across pivotal moments in history, as warriors fight to shape the fate of humanity.
“Every day we work on this show, we come away excited and humbled by the possibilities that Assassin’s Creed opens to us,” said Wiener and Patino. “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.
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.”
The adaptation is the first series developed under Netflix’s agreement with Ubisoft, announced in 2020, which aimed to bring the publisher’s beloved franchise to life in bold new ways.
“Now, after years of dedicated collaboration, it’s inspiring to see just how far that vision has come,” added Netflix’s VP of Scripted Series Peter Friedlander. “Guided by the deft hands of Roberto Patino and David Wiener, the team has carefully crafted an epic adventure that both honours 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.”
In addition to Wiener and Patino, executive producers include Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, and Austin Dill for Ubisoft Film & Television, alongside Matt O’Toole.
“We are so excited to work alongside Roberto, David, and our Netflix partners to bring this beloved franchise to series,” said Boykin, head of content at Ubisoft Film & Television. “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.”
Originally launched in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has sold over 230 million units and spans a dozen main games and numerous spin-offs, covering eras from the Third Crusade to Viking-age Britain. At its heart is the ongoing battle between the Assassins, who fight for freedom, and the Templars, who seek control, explored through modern characters who relive ancestral memories via a device called the Animus.
This is not Ubisoft’s first attempt to bring Assassin’s Creed to the screen. A 2016 feature film starring Michael Fassbender received a mixed response but earned over $240 million at the box office. Hopes are high that the new series will better capture the rich, genre-bending storytelling the games are known for.
‘Assassin’s Creed’ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on Netflix in the UK and worldwide. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
Login to Geektown