There has been a lot of speculation recently that a trailer for the Assassin’s Creed adaptation would be released soon. This has been fueled largely by the release of a number of stills from the film, suggesting that they came from iconic scenes that were being cut together for inclusion in the trailer.
It turns out that the speculation was right, as the first trailer for the film is slated to drop on Wednesday, May 11. Along with this news, a few new details about the production have also emerged alongside a couple of new pictures.
According to the LA Times, Fassbender revealed some details about his character. Though he plays both the modern Callum Lynch and a 15th-century Spanish assassin named Aguilar, he focused primarily on Callum. The character is original to the film and unrelated to the protagonist of the Assassin’s Creed game, and is recruited (or kidnapped, depending on your viewpoint) by Abstergo Industries to tap into his genetic memories of Aguilar using a device known as the Animus so he can fight the organization known as the Templars for the future of humanity.
Speaking of the character, Fassbender said:
Fassbender says that the movie is treating the game with “a healthy dose of respect and disrespect” in its adaptation, telling a stand-alone story that fits well into the larger world of Assassin’s Creed but not being beholden to what’s come before. Director Justin Kurzel agrees with this approach, opting to focus on the thematic elements of the games instead of trying to directly replicate the game experience. According to Kurzel:
“Callum doesn’t belong to anything, doesn’t have a family. We thought it would be interesting to have somebody that was disconnected be faced with what it means to join something so sacrificial.”
Fassbender and Kurzel also revealed that tentative plans are in place to expand the film into a trilogy if the first installment proves to be successful. The sequels would explore different time periods, similar to the approach that the game series has taken, though no specific periods have been settled on at this time. According to Kurzel:
“I spent most of my time with the story and the real history. That was my main focus – not so much forensically going through every aspect of the game. It was: How do you make this into a piece of cinema?”
Of course, it remains to be seen whether the film will live up to fan expectations. The departure from the games’ storylines may serve the film well, but some fans may be disappointed that they didn’t get to see their favorite Assassins on the big screen. Only time will tell, though fortunately we don’t have long to wait until we at least get to see Fassbender in action in the first trailer.
“The possibilities are kind of endless. When we’ve been discussing where you could take it, you’re not sitting around twiddling your thumbs.”
Next: Assassin’s Creed Writers to Pen Cary Fukunaga’s WWII Drama
Assassin’s Creed opens in theaters on December 21, 2016.
Source: LA Times
