Will the TV Series Connect to the Assassin’s Creed Games?

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Assassin’s Creed has finally been confirmed as the streamer’s latest project from the video game series created by Ubisoft. The idea was originally announced in 2020, but development is said to have been somewhat of a stop-and-go process over the last couple of years. But at last, Netflix has greenlit the series, with two new showrunners at the ready.

Set to head the series are Roberto Patino and David Wiener, who will take on the live-action project together. Patino has a history of directing or showrunning for some of Netflix’s past programming, including Sons of Anarchy and Westworld. David Wiener, on the other hand, was previously the showrunner for the live-action adaptation of Halo on Paramount+ and has done some writing for AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead. Patino and Wiener will head the show and team up with Ubisoft for this new and exciting series.

In a joint statement released by the two showrunners, they gave a bit of insight into what they want to do with the show.

“We’ve been fans of Assassin’s Creed since 2007 when it was released and have talked about making this show together ever since,” they said. “We keep thinking about that moment when we started working on the show, and the scale of the world and storytelling suddenly became real to us. It’s the world-building and the possibilities of storytelling within that world. Underneath the acrobatic action and swashbuckling drama lies a really human story, a story about identity, purpose, faith, and legacy. A story that links us to each other, past and present.”

The statement from the showrunners continued to say that they will be creating a more in-depth and human story rather than a high-octane, flashy video game on a screen.

“This is a show about the value of human connection—to family, to friends, to strangers—and what happens when those connections are severed. It’s about how that loss can impact us now and throughout history,” they said. “We’re incredibly excited to partner with a team at Ubisoft that has our backs and a platform in Netflix that will let us go as deep as we want. It’s going to be a lot of work, but for us, it’s the show we’ve always wanted to make.”

Assassin’s Creed is a Mainstream Series with Historical Flair

If you are not familiar with Assassin’s Creed, here’s a quick breakdown. The series first came out in 2007 and set itself apart in the early days of its existence as a “social stealth” game in a historical setting. The very first entry in the series was set during the time of the Crusades in the Holy Land.

It would not be until later games set in the Italian Renaissance that the series would get its big break in the world of gaming. This is where the games introduced the character Ezio Auditore, who has since become one of the most memorable video game heroes of all time.

In total, there have been 14 mainline Assassin’s Creed games over 18 years, each set in a different time and location with a different main character. This includes everything from the American Revolutionary War to the seas of the Caribbean, Victorian London to the pyramids of Ancient Egypt.

In more recent years, the franchise has also shifted into an open-world RPG style of game. The most recent entry, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which was released in December 2023, goes back to feudal Japan. Japan was a long-time fan-requested location, and the game received mostly positive reviews for the setting, largely because Ubisoft chose to take a year off from the planned launch to further polish the experience. If the TV series can provide a quality experience as well, fans are hopeful.

What we know so far about the Assassin’s Creed TV adaptation from Netflix is still sparse, but it is said to still follow the formula known to long-time fans. We will have modern-day characters who experience the memories of their ancestors through some form of genetic memory in place. These characters will relive those moments throughout history and struggle in the battle between Assassins and Templars, the fan-favorite concept known to Assassin’s Creed. The specifics of which historical period they will be following, which characters, and casting are still unknown.

A Previous Film Attempt Was Tepidly Received

Assassin’s Creed did receive one previous attempt at a live-action adaptation with Michael Fassbender in the starring role of Callum Lynch in 2016. But while the movie fared alright at the box office in a relative sense, being a part of a $100 million to $150 million budget range, it was met with a tepid response from both fans and critics. It also became quickly apparent that the movie would not receive any kind of immediate continuation, which is still the case today.

For a while, even with the Netflix greenlight, it remained a question whether the upcoming series would connect to the events of the film or even acknowledge its existence at all. But with the new project starting afresh, the short-lived film seems more like a blip in the grand scope of things.

The Last of Us Proved Video Games Could Make Good Television

Video game adaptations have been a notoriously hard needle to thread in most entertainment circles. However, with the massive success of HBO’s The Last of Us TV show, the market has expanded and opened up to quality options. With a slate already full of fantasy and science-fiction options, Netflix should be in the perfect position to work with Assassin’s Creed if handled properly.

One thing fans will be hoping to see is how the broad scope of the Assassin’s Creed games could be condensed or repackaged into a show. With the game covering thousands of years of history, civilizations, protagonists, and antagonists, they will have their work cut out for them when trying to make something cohesive. All eyes will be on how that is handled in particular.

If anyone can do it, fans are hoping that Patino and Wiener, with the proper backing from Ubisoft and Netflix, can make it happen, though.

Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed Series Finally Moves Forward After Long-Awaited Greenlight