Michael Fassbender Compares ASSASSIN'S CREED to THE MATRIX and Talks Practical Effects
It seems like we are about to enter an age in which movies based on video games aren't going to suck. At least that's what we're all hoping for with films such as Warcraft and Assassin's Creed coming out later this year.
Assassin's Creed is being directed by Justin Kurzel (Macbeth), and the film recently wrapped production. During a recent interview with Empire, Michael Fassbender said that the movie is "old school" and also talked about how it compares to The Matrix:
"I’ve always thought about The Matrix when we’ve approached this. This idea of DNA memory elevates it from a basic fantasy genre [piece], because you have something an audience can actually believe in. Then the journey becomes so much more elevated, because you’re on board in a different way."
The film follows a character named Callum Lynch who, "through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, is able to experience 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."
This movie has the ability to be epic. This is such a fascinating story and world to play with, and I'm curious to see how they bring it to life on the big screen. I don't know if you saw Macbeth, but Kurzel is a very visual storyteller and there's no doubt the movie is going to look great. There are just so many different elements to the story and I'm interested in seeing how he handles it. Another thing we learn from Fassbender in this interview is that the shooting of the movie relied heavily on practical effects, which is awesome! He explained:
"There’s very little green screen in this, which is highly unusual in these films. We have stunt guys jumping across buildings in (Maltese capital) Valletta."
I'll admit, I was a little worried that they would use a lot of CG effects to pull off some of the crazy stunts that are going to be in this movie, so it's refreshing to hear that won't be the case. We'll get real people jumping from rooftop to rooftop! In case you're wondering about the signature move from the video game, which is called the "leap of faith," where with an eagle cry the assassin character jumps from a tall building, into what is usually a stack of hay... Well, that's in the movie, too, and it's done with stunt people.
"We've got Damian Walters doing a 120-foot leap of faith, without any rope, into a bag. It's pretty incredible to see."
Holy crap! I can't wait to see them actually pull that off! That's incredible. Hopefully we get a behind-the-scenes featurette that focuses on the stunts in this movie because it sounds like they'll be spectacular!
Assassin’s Creed opens in theaters December 21st, and it sounds like there's a good chance it will be a film that fans of the game will enjoy. The movie also stars Marion Cotillard (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception), Michael K. Williams (The Wire), Jeremy Irons (Batman v Superman), and Brendan Gleeson (Edge of Tomorrow).