More game publishers are looking to create movies from their video game licenses these days. Last year, Activision Blizzard introduced a new studio devoted to movies and TV shows based on franchises like Call of Duty and Skylanders, and more recently, Nintendo announced that it will bring its popular franchises back to the big screen sometime over the next few years. However, Ubisoft seems to be showing the biggest initiative, with an Assassin’s Creed movie headed for a holiday release. Now another is in the works, based on new and best-selling franchises.
Variety reported that the game developer is hard at work on a second movie project, this one based on Tom Clancy’s The Division. The game made its debut on the market in March and has managed to become the studio’s fastest selling game to date, shattering release records, and it continues to draw in thousands of players with regular updates. Ubisoft has previously partnered with Amazon for a live-action series based on Division, subtitled Agent Origins, which is available to Prime subscribers.
The movie is still in the very early stages of development, but actor Jake Gyllenhaal (End of Watch) is already attached to not only star in the film, but also serve as a producer. This would be Gyllenhaal’s second foray into video game film work, following his role in Disney’s 2010 release Prince of Persia, which also happens to be based on a Ubisoft franchise.
This news complements Ubisoft’s efforts to establish the Assassin’s Creed franchise as a Hollywood film. The Assassin’s Creed movie, starring Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Apocalypse), is currently in post-production and is set to hit theaters on December 21. Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons are also featured in the film.
Ubisoft, partnering with 20th Century Fox, has already begun promotion for the film with posters and standees in theaters, as well as the recent debut of the first trailer, which was shown on Jimmy Kimmel Live! before making the rounds on social media. In addition, Ubisoft is developing a special VR experience to promote Assassin’s Creed, with footage filmed alongside the movie to further immerse viewers into its world. While little else is known about the Assassin’s Creed VR experience, it’s expected to be available around the same time as the movie’s launch.
Assassin’s Creed and The Division are just the latest examples of a resurgence in video game licensed movies. Rovio recently invested $73 million to produce The Angry Birds Movie, and it’s currently sitting pretty with $229 million in domestic box office revenues. Next week will see the release of the long-awaited cinematic adaptation of Warcraft, a big-budget affair produced by Legendary Pictures and Blizzard Entertainment.
