Michael Fassbender on ASSASSIN'S CREED Movie and Respecting the Game
I think we're about to enter a new era where video game film adaptations don't suck. Ubisoft has several video games they are currently developing into feature films, and they all have top-notch talent attached to them. My hope is that they are able to usher in a new breed of video game movies that will actually give fans what they want to see.
One of these movies is Assassins Creed, which Michael Fassbender is producing and starring in. The actor talked about the project in a recent interview with IGN, in which he says they have intense desire to "respect the game."
"You know, we absolutely want to respect the game. There’s so much cool stuff in the game that we’re actually spoiled for choice in terms of what we can use and what we can’t, but we also want to bring new elements to it and perhaps our own version of things that already exist in the game.
"But we’re definitely making a feature film, and we’re approaching it as a feature film, as opposed to approaching it as a video game. But I love the world. I don’t really play that many video games, but when I met up with the guys from Ubisoft and they started to explain this whole world and the idea of DNA memory — you know, I think it’s a very feasible scientific theory. I just thought, 'This is so rich,' and about the possibility of it being this cinematic experience. So I’m really excited about it, and we’re working very hard to make sure that we’ve got the best and most exciting, original package."
At one point there was a rumor going around that Fassbender was unhappy with the script, and that he had left the project. But that's not true at all, and the actor is very involved with developing it. When asked about it, this is what he had to say:
"I know, I love these rumors! It’s fantastic. People talk about it, and they’re hopefully interested. Nothing has changed, yeah. I’m still a part of Assassin’s Creed, and we’re working on the script as we speak. Actually, I’m going to go back and see the writers when I get back to Europe."
The script has gone through several drafts already from writers such as Scott Frank (The Wolverine) and Adam Cooper and Bill Collage (Exodus: Gods and Kings), with the original draft having been written by Michael Lesslie. Ubisoft Motion Pictures is co-producing the film with New Regency. Fox will distribute.
Assassin’s Creed is set for release on August 7th, 2015.