The Potential Of Assassin's Creed Netflix

Ubisoft announced a partnership with Netflix back in October of 2020 to bring an Assassin’s Creed series to its platform, and has plans to create a live-action TV show, an animated series and potential future projects under further consideration based on the deep lore of the franchise. It has been a long awaited and heavily anticipated project that has mostly stalled since its announcement, but according to recent reports, the show is very much in active development and getting closer to fruition.

This news is exciting for fans of the franchise as we got the 2016 Assassin's Creed feature film from 20th Century already, but the concept was short-lived even though multiple sequels were planned before the release of the film but were shelved during Disney’s major acquisition of 20th Century Fox back in 2019 that shook up a lot of Fox projects that were in development and were left with uncertainty due to the acquisition. Since those cancellations, the movies and television version of the Assassin’s Creed franchise has been mostly dormant, but news of this Netflix adaptation gives the franchise a new story to tell and new characters to introduce. It has loads of potential, and Ubisoft is sure to exercise the amount of content they can create under the Netflix umbrella.

Details of the upcoming live-action Assassin’s Creed show is mostly unknown, but this is clearly an advantage to the creators at Ubisoft and Netflix as the wide range of story angles they can reach is almost unlimited potential while avoiding leaks. This partnership with Netflix opens a lot of doors for Ubisoft that they may not have had in their first attempt to the big screen in 2016. The creative control seems to be heavily in Ubisoft’s favor, and there is so much more the creators can do with the Assassin’s Creed IP with the potential of several seasons of both the live-action and animated shows. Ubisoft has a lot of options they can take over the next years while partnered with Netflix. The fact is that two major projects are only just the beginning. The live-action show could very well become a hit and turn into a flagship original series to Ubisoft and Netflix’s name that Netflix has become so famous for in creating powerful original content they frequently produce. It is certain that Ubisoft and Netflix will prioritize the first two projects before considering other shows, but a few years down the line, if these shows become a success, the content Ubisoft could produce with Netflix can become a media-giant in the television form just as Assassin’s Creed is the same for the world of video games.

Ubisoft has potential to continue their big screen plans for the Assassin’s Creed franchise even after the cancellation of the 2016 movie sequels. Ubisoft may take another shot at the cinema concept, as some recent reports suggest the creators are looking to try venturing into films again. This idea of a film could either be a Netflix original movie or completely separate and with a different studio tagged on to release in movie theaters again. There's plenty of possibilities to be found, and it is clear the future of Assassin’s Creed can go further than video games. Potentially becoming a staple in the industry for their film and television plans just as they are in the gaming world. The reports and ideas that Ubisoft has clearly expanded the franchise to a whole new level. While video games are still the main focus, film and TV could be just as important as an aspect if the creators of the Netflix series can captivate the audience with a very worthy adaptation that could create new fans who may not be huge gamers, but love the products created on screen. It is a possibility to attract viewers and build new fans of the franchise even to those unfamiliar with the games. Fans could be encouraged to try the games after what Ubisoft and Netflix end up putting together.

While the only confirmed projects are the live-action and animated shows, there can be so much more to this partnership that many do not expect. Many gaming franchises have gotten new life and created new fans based on their television adaptations, such as Fallout on Prime Video or The Last of Us on HBO, which were already popular brands but built a fanbase outside of the gaming industry. Ubisoft has a chance to make a show seriously impactful that further grows the recognition of the Assassin’s Creed franchise in whole new ways. Other video games turned into TV shows have been successful, so Ubisoft venturing into this field now can lead to great possibilities to further cement the Assassin’s Creed series as the juggernaut it currently is, even currently without a major presence outside of gaming.

Ubisoft and Netflix are choosing to expand the Assassin’s Creed brand to the small screen at a perfect time, as for years video games getting an on-screen adaptation always went to the cinemas, which started a trend of video game movies being disappointments at the box office and financially. This trend really started with the Super Mario Bros. movie in 1993 that created an ongoing trend of failures that many believed to be a curse. That is until developers chose to attempt the small screen for once, and that’s when video game adaptations finally caught on. The answer was trying the land of television rather than just movies every single time. Ubisoft and Netflix developing these shows now is smart to catch on to ongoing hype surrounding video games adapted to TV shows. It is the perfect time to capitalize on the success that most adaptations are receiving, giving the creators an advantage to get off to a strong start with their projects.

It is safe to say Ubisoft is in good hands with a group like Netflix working with them, and the possibilities of these shows can grow so far beyond what they would be now. There is nearly limitless potential for the two groups to come up with something successful and further show why the Assassin’s Creed brand is regarded as a franchise with a bright future, even 18 years into its existence. The franchise is in some ways just getting started despite being a gaming icon for many years. With the Netflix partnership and many other ways to grow the brand outside gaming, the Assassin’s Creed series is here to stay.