Image: Ubisoft

FIVE YEARS after its initial announcement, Assassin’s Creed is making another leap of faith. Netflix has officially greenlit a live-action series inspired by Ubisoft’s blockbuster video game franchise, with Roberto Patino (Westworld, Sons of Anarchy) and David Wiener (Halo, The Killing) onboard as showrunners and executive producers.

The ambitious project is part of Netflix’s ongoing foray into prestige gaming adaptations. This year saw a huge critical win with Arcane, following the commercial success of The Witcher (the latter now facing a different hurdle after Henry Cavill was recast with Australian actor Liam Hemsworth).

“Every day we work on this show, we come away excited and humbled by the possibilities that Assassin’s Creed opens to us,” said Patino and Wiener in a joint statement. “Beneath the scope, the spectacle, the parkour and the thrills is a baseline for the most essential kind of human story, about people searching for purpose, struggling with questions of identity and destiny and faith.”

Netflix’s adaptation will draw from the franchise’s rich premise: a covert war between two ancient factions, the Templars and the Assassins, played out across centuries of pivotal historical events. The platform promises a “high-octane thriller” that blends historical drama with action, espionage and existential angst, the core of what made the original games so compelling.

The streaming giant has partnered closely with Ubisoft, with the publisher’s film and television division deeply involved in production. Margaret Boykin, head of content at Ubisoft Film & Television, described the series as “an experience that speaks to the heart of what fans love about Assassin’s Creed, while introducing its unforgettable worlds and timeless themes to new audiences worldwide.”

The 2016 film adaptation starring Michael Fassbender had been widely panned. Image: IMDB.

It’s a bold move, especially considering the 2016 film’s mixed reception. Despite a strong cast and a $240 million box office take, critics panned the movie’s plot and pacing. But it’s been almost a decade since the divisive film adaptation starring Michael Fassbender hit our screens, hopefully providing enough distance between the two projects.

Netflix, however, is banking on long-form storytelling, and the creative freedom of streaming, to do what the film couldn’t. As the Brotherhood prepares to enter its next Animus, all eyes are on Netflix.

If The Witcher was a surprise critical hit, Assassin’s Creed may just prove that lightning can strike twice.

If not across time, then at least across genres.