Flashspoter - Netflix is getting serious about expanding its lineup of video game adaptations by developing a live-action Assassin's Creed series. After several years in development since the partnership with Ubisoft was announced in 2020, the project is finally moving forward with the arrival of official news about the first cast to join: Toby Wallace, an actor known from Babyteeth, The Bikeriders, to Euphoria Season 3.
The series takes its premise from the game franchise that has sold more than 230 million copies worldwide since its initial release in 2007. In the course of a decade, the saga of Assassin's Creed has been characterized as a combination of parkour action, political intrigue, and the use of real history, as well as a conflict of ideas between two secretive factions: the Assassins and the Templars. The streaming giant ensured that this transition to the screen retained the dispute as the main theme of the narrative, however, with fresh faces and a storyline that doesn't follow a single game.
It is said that the filming of the series will definitely take place in Italy in 2026. The news first leaked out through a Deadline report that also talked about the country being the major backdrop of the narrative. No one knows yet from the very first who, what, or when (of history) will be used. But the reports from Nexus Point News are implying that maybe it is a Roman Empire kind of setting and even that some of the characters might be kind of like Nero, who was the emperor between 54 and 68 AD. On the other hand, Netflix or Ubisoft haven't acknowledged the link between the historical character and the story; hence it being considered as just a possibility, not a conclusion.
Just now, Netflix has put out a brief description of the series idea, explaining that it would be a suspenseful drama centered around a secret war theme. A group, which aims at dominating the future of mankind through control, is opposed to the other that struggles for the freedom of will. The new characters will be led by the story through various significant historical periods. Such an idea is consistent with the general storyline of the Assassin's Creed game series, though there is no confirmation that the show will adopt the anthology format which many fans anticipate.
The involvement of Toby Wallace remains under wraps. Entertainment insiders have informed that he is one of the leading characters in the storyline. Toby Wallace excels in both dramatic and intense roles of characters and thus is the perfect choice for a world full of intrigue, danger, and moral conflict such as that of Assassin's Creed. Moreover, the fact that the production team made a public announcement of his casting first is also an indication of their decision to start laying down the core foundations of the story they want to develop.
The series is fronted by two creators and showrunners, namely Roberto Patino and David Wiener, known respectively through works such as Westworld, DMZ, Halo, and Homecoming. They worked alongside a team of executives from Ubisoft Film & Television, including Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, Austin Dill, and Matt O'toole. Netflix stated that the project is the result of a long and intense collaboration aimed at bringing an adaptation that still honors the franchise's roots, while presenting a new approach to the audience.
This Assassin's Creed adaptation is part of Netflix's grand strategy of developing a portfolio of video game-based shows. After the success of Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, as well as a number of other adaptations under development, Assassin's Creed is in the top spot as one of the biggest projects they've ever worked on from the gaming world.
Although more details regarding the story, characters, until the release date are still awaiting production developments, the presence of the first cast such as Toby Wallace is a significant step. With production plans increasingly clear, further information is expected to emerge sometime after filming begins in 2026. For fans, this marks a new bright spot after years of waiting for real movement from adaptations that had long been behind the scenes.
Source Engadget, Variety, Deadline, Tudum Netflix.
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