Reports are that Ubisoft will work closely to develop and co-produce an Assassin’s Creed film with New Regency, while Fox will distribute the film. Michael Fassbender, who is attached to play the lead, helped open doors with both companies.

Fassbender, star of X-Men: First Class and Prometheus, is set to both star and co-produce Assassin’s Creed this Summer.

New Regency president and CEO Brad Weston said working with Fassbender on Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave made the partnership on Assassin’s Creed very appealing. “We wanted to do everything we could to secure the rights to Assassin’s Creed, which Ubisoft has maintained with such care and quality over the years,” he said.

Ubisoft hopes to have Assassin’s Creed packaged with a helmer, cast and script by next summer, according to Jean-Julien Baronnet, CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures. Although financial terms were not disclosed, New Regency will finance part of the movie’s production. “We want to be sure that we’re not taking too much of a risk but that we’re still very involved on the creative side,” Baronnet said.

While Ubisoft wants to preserve elements of the game, like the design of its characters and historical elements, it also hopes to tie in the release of a film with a new game launch. “We don’t want to make games just for the sake of movies,” Baronnet said. “We want to make them in concert with the games.”

Ubisoft wanted more control over its adaptations after Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time didn’t do well with Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney. It went on to earn $335 million worldwide, just $91 million of it coming from the U.S.

“Ubisoft chose to partner with New Regency because they are a talent and filmmaker-driven company, with the same independent and creative mindset that we have at Ubisoft Motion Pictures,” Baronnet said. “Bringing aboard New Regency’s renowned production and distribution expertise while maintaining our own creative and financial flexibility ensures that Assassin’s Creed will be a high-quality film that respects the lore and fans of the videogame franchise.”

Source: Variety