Even on the eve of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate‘s global release – check out our thoughts of the Victorian adventure here – there’s no question that Ubisoft has major plans for the future of the clandestine franchise, which has quickly become one of the most lucrative and powerful series in the video game industry. How and ever, if Michael Fassbender has his way, that success won’t be limited to one medium.
He’ll head up Ubisoft Motion Pictures upcoming Assassin’s Creed adaptation as Callum Lynch, an everyday man from the modern era who discovers he has deep, familial ties to some of history’s greatest killers. Unlocking his past by way of the Animus machine, Fassbender’s lead is able to revisit various time periods gone by, with the feature film said to focus on 15th century Spain. But such technology naturally opens the door to a myriad of creative possibilities, and the action/producer is keen to continue that story via a sequel.
That largely hinges on the success of Ubisoft’s first feature film – helmed by Macbeth director Justin Kurzel – though Fassbender appeared confident when Screen Daily quizzed that actor about the chances of a follow-up.
“We’ll see how the first one does, but that’s the idea,” Fassbender cautioned. “The material and the landscape is so rich, there’s definitely enough there for a franchise.”
It’s certainly not a confirmation, but it shows that Fassbender is at least entertaining the idea of reprising his role as Callum Lynch beyond the 2016 release. The studio’s live-action take will need to bring in a respectable box office haul in a year’s time to warrant a sequel, but with such a talented roster of creators and actors attached to the project, we’re cautiously optimistic that Kurzel’s feature will dispel any lingering curse hanging over the trite video-game-to-movie business model.
Now that production is in full swing, Justin Kurzel, Michael Fassebender and Marion Cotillard, will be joined by Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Ariane Labed, and Michael Kenneth Williams when Assassin’s Creed swan dives into theaters on December 21, 2016.
Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society through unlocked genetic memories that allow him to relive the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. After gaining incredible knowledge and skills he’s poised to take on the oppressive Knights Templar in the present day.
