Imagine for a very brief moment that through a revolutionary new technology known as the Animus, you were empowered with the ability to tap into the memories of your distant ancestors dating back to the 15th century. It’s like time travel without all those mind-bending ramifications – the grandfather paradox, the butterfly effect – and a mechanic that underpins the wildly successful Assassin’s Creed video game series.
Sensing the franchise’s cinematic credentials, X-Men stalwart Michael Fassbender was one of the early flag-bearers for a live-action adaptation, and will soon have his loyalty rewarded by both producing December’s movie and leading the charge in the dual roles of Callum Lynch and his long-forgotten ancestor, Aguilar de Nerha. Justin Kurzel is the filmmaker at the helm – rounding out the Macbeth reunion thanks to both Fassbender and Marion Cotillard – and we now have the thrilling new trailer to pour over.
Though the choice of music still leaves much to be desired – at the very least, it fits the historic action better than Kanye West’s “I Am a God” – there’s no question that the stuntwork on display in Assassin’s Creed is nothing short of phenomenal.
Hoping to succeed where the likes of Warcraft: The Beginning and Angry Birds: The Movie have fallen, Assassin’s Creed swoops into theaters on December 21. Taking cues from the video game series that inspired it, Justin Kurzel has already been drafting up ideas for a sequel, potentially shifting the clandestine action into a new era altogether.
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.
