Ubisoft is setting its sights on TV for a new "Assassin's Creed" animé series which Adi Shankar has been hired to produce.
The movie version starring Michael Fassbender came out in 2016 but only managed to earn $240 million worldwide from a budget of $125 million. This quenched whatever plans Ubisoft had for any sequels. However, the gaming company is now looking to venture into TV animation using their "Assassin's Creed" property with Shankar at the helm. He expressed his excitement in a Facebook post:
"I'm happy to let you guys know that I've selected my next project! I played the first edition of 'Assassin's Creed' the year I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my dream. At that moment I knew absolutely no one in the industry and could never have imagined that one day Ubisoft would ask me to take the world of 'Assassin's Creed' and create an original story set in it as an anime series. If anyone tells you not to follow your passion in life they are wrong."
Shankar is best known for producing "The Grey," "Dredd" and "Killing Them Softly." Furthermore, he has a new animated series, "Castlevania," coming out on Netflix this month. This show is also based on a popular video game which affirms Shankar's hiring by Ubisoft because of his gaming and animation sensibilities.
The "Assassin's Creed" story is mainly about the conflict between the Assassins, who believe in peace through free will, and the Templars who aspire to gain peace through control. It is set against a backdrop of historical events like the Crusades and the Renaissance, mixed with its own fictional storylines. Shankar will indeed have a lot to work with in this wealth of narratives.
Details for the new "Assassin's Creed" animé series are scarce as no channel has been locked to premiere it and no release date has been set. Expect information to come in as the production moves forward.
