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Report: Assassin's Creed movie to open in May of 2015

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:00:00 EST

New Regency Films and Ubisoft Motion Pictures' Assassin's Creed movie collaboration will hit theaters May 22, 2015, according to Box Office Mojo. Starring Michael Fassbender, the movie concerns "a man who learns his ancestors were trained assassins after he is kidnapped by a secret org with ties to the Knights Templar, and sent back in time to retrieve historical artifacts," according to a Variety report last year.

We're guessing this release date means that Ubisoft is going to continue to ignore our repeated (and might we add, quite generous) offers to write the film as a reimagined version of You've Got Mail.

Report: Assassin's Creed movie to open in May of 2015 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft hires English playwright to pen Assassin's Creed screenplay

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST

The Assassin's Creed movie is getting some backstage class by tapping English playwright Michael Lesslie to adapt the screenplay. Lesslie's previous writing work includes Prince of Denmark, which was performed at the National Theatre in 2012, short films such as Skirt, and an acclaimed adaptation of the memoir War Reporting for Cowards.

Michael Fassbender, recently known as Magneto in X-Men: First Class and the robot David in Prometheus, is set to star in and co-produce the Assassin's Creed film. In October, Ubisoft Motion Pictures tagged New Regency as a partner on the movie. We're pretty shocked at all the public information about this film; for some reason, we assumed the whole thing would be more stealthy.

Ubisoft hires English playwright to pen Assassin's Creed screenplay originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fassbender's Assassin's Creed character not necessarily Desmond

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:20:00 EST

Today's news about the often spoken of but never seen Assassin's Creed film adaptation brought word that Prometheus star Michael Fassbender is playing the starring role (Fassbender's DMC Film is also being tapped for co-production). Between his leading man role and the film's description - "a man who learns his ancestors were trained assassins after he is kidnapped by a secret org with ties to the Knights Templar ... [is] sent back in time to retrieve historical artifacts" - it sounded to many like Fassbender would be taking up the role of Desmond Miles, franchise leading man. Not so fast, says Ubisoft.

"Fassbender will play the lead role, but it's too soon to say exactly which character that will be," a Ubi rep told us. Though all signs point to Fassbender playing Miles, the various media surrounding the Assassin's Creed franchise has shied away from focusing on the modern American assassin. Comic book series "The Fall" instead follows Daniel Cross, a Templar sleeper agent, through his family history in the Russian Revolution and beyond. Assassin's Creed: Lineage similarly focused on a backstory - Assassin's Creed 2 protagonist Ezio Auditore's father, Giovanni Auditore - rather than on Desmond.

"The storyline isn't bound by a certain era or even a set of characters," the Ubi rep added. "That kind of freedom gives us great flexibility in creating the movie." Which isn't to say that the film will be a Uwe Boll-esque takeoff on the game series. Like all things Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft is treading carefully so as not to anger longtime fans. "We're also taking the responsibility of maintaining fidelity with the overall story and brand very seriously," the rep said.

There's no planned launch window for the Assassin's Creed film, but Ubisoft Motion Pictures is maintaining creative control over the whole process. Michael Fassbender's DMC Film is collaborating with UMP, but Ubi retains rights to who's directing and who's writing the script.

Fassbender's Assassin's Creed character not necessarily Desmond originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Fassbender starring in and co-producing Assassin's Creed film

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:25:00 EST

When he's not playing a cold, conniving artificial man, Michael Fassbender is sharpening his hidden blade (and his hidden check book). Not because he's way into hidden knives (he isn't, as far as we know), but because he'll be playing the starring role in an upcoming Assassin's Creed film adaptation, says Variety.

Fassbender's company DMC Film is co-producing the film as well, teaming up with Ubisoft Motion Pictures. It's unclear which part of the game's canon will form the basis of the film, if any. Variety says the "plot revolves around a man who learns his ancestors were trained assassins after he is kidnapped by a secret org with ties to the Knights Templar, and sent back in time to retrieve historical artifacts," which sounds like a game revolving around Desmond to us. It also sounds like the basic root of the entire game franchise, so ... do with that what you will.

The new deal with Fassbender's DMC Film helps to put Ubi's previous Sony talks to bed. Talks last November apparently fizzled, though Ubi is still open to "re-discuss" things "once the production package is finalized." Ubisoft Motion Pictures will hire the project's director and writer before getting involved with any third parties - a response to the lackluster reception Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time got at the box office, which Ubi apparently attributes (at least in part) to a lack of creative control over its own property.

[Pictured: Filming of Assassin's Creed: Lineage]

Michael Fassbender starring in and co-producing Assassin's Creed film originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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