ODEON Magazine December 2016 | Page 15

Immortal Combat A beginner’s guide to Assassin’s Creed Assassin’s Creed? Never heard of it! Really? It’s Ubisoft’s biggest-selling franchise. “Somebody has got to do it right once. We figured the odds are in our favour” – Michael Fassbender revealed what attracted him to this dual role. “There’s a lot of actionadventure films out there at the moment. But what was really unique about this one was the idea of DNA memories,” the actor revealed. “It seems like a very plausible scientific theory, that we carry around in us the knowledge of our ancestors. I thought that was really something that would take the audience on a more immersive journey.” Ripping up the rulebook Having watched him rip up the rulebook on Macbeth, Fassbender was also keen to work with Justin Kurzel again. In an audacious move (even by Kurzel’s standards), Assassin’s Creed’s historical scenes will be entirely in Spanish. “It really adds an exoticness and richness to the film,” the director told GameSpot. The production is also set to feature the highest free fall performed by a stuntman in 35 years – a whopping 38 metres! “We definitely wanted to go old school,” explained Kurzel. So is Fassbender worried that Assassin’s Creed will free fall into obscurity, like so many game-to-film adaps before it? “Somebody has got to do it right once,” the actor laughed. “We figured the odds are stacked in our favour.” Franchise? Yes, the first game was released in 2007 and since then there have been eight more instalments. Plus, tie-ins, comics and stuff! Wow, so what’s it about then? Two ancient societies: the Assassins and the Knights Templar and their centuries-old blood feud. Who do you play as? Altaïr – a senior member of the Assassin Brotherhood. Is it any good? Yes! GamePro described the original as one of the“finest gaming experiences ever created”. odeon.co.uk 15