Netflix Hires ‘Die Hard’ Writer to Run ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Series
Video games generally make for lousy movies and TV shows, but that certainly hasn’t stopped Hollywood from trying to strike gold, since they are seemingly allergic to coming up with new ideas at this point. In this vein, Netflix has recently hired Die Hard (yes that Die Hard) and The Fugitive writer Jeb Stuart to be show runner of their planned live-action Assassin’s Creed series. While Aussie auteur Justin Kurzel was unable to make anything remotely watchable out of the franchise back in 2016, Netflix is looking to succeed where he failed and likely has some confidence going into this given the strong performance of The Witcher (which is based on the books, not the games, but hey no one’s counting).
Jeb Stuart is a veteran of the industry and in addition to his work in feature films has prior experience with historical-epic television series, having served as showrunner for Vikings: Valhalla, a spinoff to Michael Hirst’s Vikings which aired on the History Channel. In addition, the series will be made in partnership with Ubisoft, the studio behind the games, who has joined with Netflix to produce a full lineup of video game based entertainment including a potential Far Cry: Blood Dragon show.
It will be interesting to see what direction he and the Netflix and Ubisoft execs decide to take the series, and whether they will adapt an existing story or craft a new one. The Assassin’s Creed games comprise one of the most recognizable brands in gaming, spanning 11 entries over nearly 15 years. The quality of the entries is all over the place, for while the series has a somewhat consistent formula, the core components of gameplay such as navigation, combat, stealth, and eventually role-playing have all been altered and reinvented multiple times over the years to mixed results. In spite of this, and the games’ trying quality, many games flock to the series to explore the expansive, highly detailed, and often quite historically accurate worlds and play around in a sandbox of history.
One thing fans of the Assassin’s Creed games generally don’t hold in high regard is the story. While it features a few interesting characters and some neat thematic ideas, the narrative of the series is a massive clusterfuck that only gets more confusing with each installment. Some of the individual games have a good story nugget here and there, but the arc of the series overall is a bunch of nonsense. There are games out there with good stories, but it is difficult to see what the creators of this proposed show would actually want to adapt.
As Netflix tries to craft their next bit hit, they seem to have plenty of obstacles in their way. However their big deal with Ubisoft is a sign of what is to come, as the company looks to be making a major effort to adapt popular gaming franchises into movies and TV. It is worth reiterating that video game adaptations are usually crap, and only time will tell if Netflix’s work is the exception or more of the rule.
