Picture Credits: Neilson Barnard / Getty Images & Ubisoft
Earlier this year, we thought all hope was lost on Netflix’s long-awaited live-action Assassin’s Creed series. After some rumblings throughout the first part of the year, Netflix has now officially greenlit the show.
The long-running blockbuster franchise from Ubisoft, first launched in 2007, is finally making the leap to the small screen after nearly five years in development. Netflix first announced it was working on an Assassin’s Creed title back in 2020. “A brand-new, live-action Assassin’s Creed series is coming to Netflix,” read the initial announcement. “The deal includes multiple series, the first of which will be a genre-bending live-action epic, with others being animated and anime adaptations.” It continued that at the time, live-action series was currently searching for a showrunner, which was announced to be Jeb Stuart in 2021, although they would later depart. We’ve a comprehensive timeline of all the development of Assassin’s Creed up to this point in an article here.
Emmy-nominated creatives Roberto Patino (DMZ, Westworld, Sons of Anarchy) and David Wiener (Halo, Homecoming, The Killing) are teaming up as showrunners, creators, and executive producers on the project.
Described as a globe-trotting thriller, the series will center on the secret war between two powerful factions, one bent on controlling humanity’s future through manipulation, and the other fighting to preserve free will. The story will span pivotal moments in history, blending spectacle, parkour, and rich storytelling that digs into themes of identity, destiny, faith, power, and vengeance.
Seperately, sources have told us that the time period Netflix is aiming for will be Ancient Rome. We’re also told that no existing characters are involved and that, like the games, there will be a modern-day story to be told; however, the majority of the show (up to 75%) will take place in the past.
In a joint statement, Wiener and Patino teased what fans can expect:
“Beneath the scope, the spectacle, the parkour, and the thrills is the most essential kind of human story—people searching for purpose and struggling with questions of identity and destiny. More than anything, this is a show about the value of human connection across cultures and time, and what we stand to lose when those connections break.”
The upcoming series marks the first title developed under Netflix’s 2020 deal with Ubisoft to adapt Assassin’s Creed. Peter Friedlander, Netflix’s VP of Scripted Series, praised the team’s vision:
“When we first announced our partnership with Ubisoft, the goal was to bring the rich, expansive world of Assassin’s Creed to life in bold new ways. Roberto Patino and David Wiener have crafted an epic adventure that honors the franchise while inviting newcomers into the Brotherhood like never before.”
Joining Patino and Wiener on the producing team are Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, and Austin Dill for Ubisoft Film & Television, alongside Matt O’Toole. Boykin added:
“We’re thrilled to bring this beloved franchise to life with our partners at Netflix and hope to deliver an experience that stays true to what fans love while introducing these worlds and timeless themes to new audiences worldwide.”
Claire Kiechel (Watchmen, The Acolyte) and Jaquén Castellanos (Good American Family, The Affair) will serve as co-executive producers, alongside Sanaz Toossi, Sam Reynolds, Daniel Goldberg, and Tom Hemmings, who will also serve as staff writers, per the WGA.
The Netflix series will continue the streamer’s growing slate of gaming adaptations, joining Castlevania, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the upcoming Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, and the award-winning Arcane.
Picture: Netflix
Rating: TV-MA
