The Assassin's Creed adaptation is starting to shape up with the addition of Brendan Gleeson and Jeremy Irons to the movie's cast.
The movie has been in the works for several years with Michael Fassbender attached to the project, but filming only recently began. Fassbender was the first confirmed cast member when the movie adaptation was announced back in 2011.
The movie was then in a limbo of sorts with no new news for the past couple of years, except to say that it was still the planning stages.
According to VineReport.com, the film is set to be released Dec. 21, 2016, by 20th Century Fox and directed by Justin Kurzel. Production started earlier this year in February and filming started late August. The movie is expected to film in Malta, Spain, and England.
Michael Fassbender as the lead, while not exactly my first choice, will no doubt do his role justice. His works in the past recent years have cemented his place in Hollywood with roles in the X-Men franchise and award-winning dramas like Twelve Years a Slave.
Marion Cotillard is also set to appear as the female lead, She and Fassbender both recently appeared in the new film adaptation of Macbeth, also directed by Kurzel.
Gleeson is set to play the part of Fassbender's father, while Irons is set to play Cotillard's father. Michael Kenneth Williams (Boardwalk Empire) and Ariane Labed (Before Midnight) are also set to appear.
Assassin's Creed is one of Ubisoft's most popular franchises. The first game was released in 2007 to raving reviews. From that initial title, more than 15 others have been released, with the latest, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, being released Oct. 23, 2015.
As an avid fan of this series and Fassbender, I am extremely excited. The world of Assassin's Creed is so expansive and vast. Seeing that world, both the past and the present, will be amazing, if done right.
In the movie adaptation, he is set to play Callum Lynch, a character created solely for the film. According to details previously released, Lynch will relive the memories of his 15th century Spanish ancestor, Aguilar. Through this, he will inherit the skills of a Master Assassin and will clash with the villainous Templars.
Video game movies historically have not done well at the box office, with the exception of the Resident Evil franchise. Who can forget Disney's Prince of Persia movie, also another Ubisoft property, starring Jake Gylannhal, Gemma Arterton, and Ben Kingsly? Obviously, a lot of people. Not me of course, I enjoyed the movie. However, my love of it did not lead it to become the successful franchise that was planned.
This film has what previous films did not: a stellar cast.
As of right now, the film is full of some of acting's best. If the script and story are anywhere near as stellar as the cast, this film will be amazing.
I, for one, will be waiting in line to see it.
