Assassin’s Creed’s Cast and Crew On Turning Great Games Into Great Film
Assassin’s Creed’s Cast and Crew On Turning Great Games Into Great Film
I had the opportunity to visit the set of the Assassin’s Creed film in Almeria, Spain, this past December, where I had the chance to witness a real-life Leap of Faith in the desert outside town. I also spoke with the director, key production team members, actors, and Ubisoft Motion Pictures about their work on the film, and why their approach ‘should have Assassin’s Creed fans excited.
Authentic Assassin’s Creed
Ever since the Assassin’s Creed film was announced, there’s been a lot of interest and hope – and, yes, concern – from Assassin’s Creed fans and gamers in general. Their attention, and the pressure to make a great film, was not lost on Ubisoft, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, director Justin Kurzel, or the cast itself.
“I think the game’s really cinematic anyway. I think you can look at that from the gameplay and also the trailers,” shared Kurzel, “I think, also, it’s not a superhero kind of game. ‘It’s real people doing extraordinary things. [In terms of] concept and idea, ours is an origin story about a man in the present day who discovers he’s an Assassin.”
A key element to creating an authentic Assassin’s Creed universe within the context of a film was the decision to make it as real, raw, and gritty as possible. Real locations. Relying less on CGI than other productions of this magnitude, Assassin’s Creed’s fight sequences, stunts, and parkour scenes were filmed in real time with actors and stunt performers to keep the look as realistic as possible.”I think it’s about our approach to the world, trying to make all the stunts in it and the action in it feel real, because I think it does it so well in the game anyway. For us, it was like, how do we make the audience really feel as though it was possible when we shot it? That’s why we shot in all real locations. We’re doing a real Leap of Faith, and all this stuff we cared about in terms of being respectful for the style of the game, but also land it and ground it in a piece of film,” Kurzel says.
Photo Credit: Kerry Brown
Assassin’s Creed is a world that millions have spent countless hours in over the years, so players have a strong sense of what is and what is not true to the Assassin’s Creed brand. However, the collaboration between the production team and the Assassin’s Creed brand team at Ubisoft Montreal was a huge benefit.
“You’re having to invent a story and take all the different elements of the game that sort of land, but also be faithful to what the fans’ expectations are. It is a really big challenge. But at the same time, I’ve always approached this as a film. I respect the game, and I’ve spent a lot of time with the game. But there comes to a point where you have to start looking at this as a film, and how it works as a film,” Kurzel said.
True Assassins
Outside of the Ezio trilogy, each installment of Assassin’s Creed introduced a new Assassin, and the film is no exception. Michael Fassbender plays dual roles as Callum Lynch in the “present” and Aguilar in the “past” during the Spanish Inquisition, and he shared his thoughts on the film’s premise and the experience of playing both roles.
“We’re staying true to the games with the core things, the Animus, the DNA memory of the characters, and the artifacts. That is enough information to be giving new audiences coming to it that don’t understand,” Fassbender said.
With Lynch getting a more prominent role in the film’s “present day,” the differentiation between the two characters was an important nuance for Fassbender.
Photo Credit: Kerry Brown
“Aguilar is someone very different than Cal, he’s someone that belongs to the Creed and belongs to a family, has devoted his life to that ethos, whereas Cal is somebody who is a drifter and a loner, and hasn’t found something he belongs to, and doesn’t have a family. That was taken away from him,” Fassbender said.
I brought up that the first moment we saw him on set, hood on and walking through the scene, all of us visiting the set that day instantly responded that he was definitely an Assassin and completely looked the part.
“Thank you. It’s kind of important.”
Seeing Fassbender become an Assassin was something Ubisoft Motion Pictures envisioned from the very beginning. In fact, he was the first and only person approached to play the role.
“First, we feel that Michael is the best actor of his generation, and somebody that could play the past and the present hero,” said Jean-Julien Baronnet, former head of Ubisoft Motion Pictures. “We needed to have an extraordinary actor to play both roles, so that for us was very important. The second reason: Michael as a professional has done indie movies like mainstream movies, he did Hunger and 12 Years a Slave, and also he did X-Men and Prometheus.”
“The third element is, an Assassin is very elegant, and Michael is someone who is very elegant but also is very brutal. We needed to have a combination of somebody who could be very graceful in the choreography in the fight, and also be very tough. So we needed a point of mystery. So Michael, for those three reasons, was really the best choice for our Assassin,” said Baronnet.
While Fassbender’s Aguilar is the main character, it is his close partner Maria, played by Ariane Labed, who is the more experienced Assassin. She is the one who helps him both in the fight against the Templars as well as guiding him along his path.
Photo Credit: Kerry Brown
“I kind of carry the morality of what it is to be an Assassin. And he may be fighting for the wrong reasons, so I’m the one reminding him what it’s all about. More like a wise figure,” Labed shared. “She’s already an Assassin, so she’s more experienced than him. She’s truly ready to do everything for the Creed. They are always helping each other. I save his life I don’t know how many times, and he does the same – that’s what kind of relationship we have. It’s more Western communication, more like body language than anything else, a deep relationship – to deal with death and fighting.”
Labed had some experience playing Assassin’s Creed prior to being cast in the film. In fact, she picked it up again after learning about her role to reacquaint herself with the movement and fight aspects.
“Actually, it’s weird, because I’m not a big gamer. I think six years ago, I’m with my husband and he had a PlayStation 3, and I had never played in my life, and I was looking around and I found this game, Assassin’s Creed. I think it was the second one. And I started to play just for fun and I loved it!” Labed explained. “So, I was stuck for three weeks playing that like crazy and that never happened to me. And that was years ago. Then, for the movie, I played again to remember. I remember the way he moves, the way he jumps, the movements are so amazing; I mean, that’s what I’m trying to do, but wow!”
Photo Credit: Kerry Brown
Having seen the teaser trailer and visited the set, I simply cannot wait to see Assassin’s Creed on December 21, 2016. Be sure to check out my firsthand account of the film’s very real Leap of Faith stunt, and while you’re at it, take a look at UbiBlog’s analysis of the trailer.
For more on the Assassin’s Creed movie, check out our previous coverage:
Assassin’s Creed Movie Trailer Breakdown – What You Might Have Missed
Assassin’s Creed Movie – Impressions From the Set Outside Almeria, Spain
Assassin’s Creed VR Experience Announced
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