We Don't Wanna Jinx It, But The 'Assassin's Creed' Movie Might Not Suck
Maybe Michael Fassbender can show us how to love again.
Ubisoft gave fans another look at its most successful franchises' film adaptation during their conference, and while we don't want to count our chickens before they hatch, it's looking pretty fucking rad.
We know, given the film industry's track record for taking some of the most beloved and masterfully crafted games and turning them into trite, unwatchable piles of poo (We'd include a list, but, let's face it. They're basically all just the worst), it can be a challenge getting guarded fans behind a film revamp—which is why "Assassin's Creed" is here to stroke your hair and say "Sshhhhh, it's okay. You've been hurt, but I'm going to love you the way you deserve."
At least, that's what we're hoping, but it's not a blind hope. There are plenty of reasons "Assassin's Creed" might actually have a shot at awesomeness. On their own, a great movie they do not make, but together, they're giving us and our reluctant hearts some hope.
1. The Director
Justin Kurzel might not have the most expansive filmography, but what he lacks in breadth he makes up for in powerful, deliberate filmmaking. He impressed critics with his full-length directorial debut "The Snowtown Murders," a harrowing account of a real-life spree of murders that took place in Australia in the 1990's. He was also at the helm of 2015's 'Macbeth," a visually stunning, if rather straightforward, retelling of one the Bard's most popular tragedies.
2. The Budget
A hefty budget doesn't always make a great film. Movies like Jon Carter, the latest Fantastic Four and countless other high-budget flops have proven that. However, substantial backing does indicate 20th Century Fox has some faith in the project (or at least in its ability to make money). Plus, it means bigger stunts, better sets and wilder effects. All things that are absolutely necessary for "Assassin's Creed" to be the high-octane epic that fans expect.
3. The Cast
With a great director behind the wheel and nearly bottomless coffers, "Assassin's Creed" has had no trouble accumulating an attractive roster of stars that boasts three Academy Award winners: Jeremy Irons, Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender. It's also worth noting that the latter two both worked with Kurzel on Macbeth, a good indication of their faith in him as director.
Round out the lineup with Emmy award winner and multiple Golden Globe nominee Brendan Gleeson, and you've got arguably the heaviest hitting cast of any video game adaptation ever.
4. The Release Date
A holiday release date (December 21st, 2016 in this case) is not something major studios hand out lightly. Like the budget, this doesn't at all guarantee that Fox will have a smash hit on their hands come Christmas time, but giving the holiday slot to "Assassin's Creed," especially opposite the juggernaut of hype that is "Star Wars: Rogue One," out on the 16th of December, shows that Fox has faith in the film's ability to snatch up the Christmas Day crowd.
5. The behind the scenes footage from E3 looks insane.
The best thing about seeing footage from the set? Big jumps, crane shots and a substantial amount of practical sets with very little green screen. Our hearts are saying "NO! You'll just get hurt again," but what our eyes are seeing can't help but get us a little pumped.
Maybe we're just being stupidly optimistic. Maybe video games were never meant to be made into major motion pictures, and any attempt to change that is doomed to suck farts forever.
We sure hope not, though. "Warcraft" might not have been the movie every fan wanted, but it did become the highest grossing video game movie of all time. The faith is there. The audience is there. We just need Hollywood to pull through.
And if they don't? Meh. We're not gonna be too upset about watching 2 hours of this on a screen 20-feet high.