Netflix’s long-gestating live-action adaptation of Assassin’s Creed is officially moving ahead, according to Ubisoft. First announced in 2020, the series is now in active development, with Roberto Patino (Westworld, DMZ) and David Wiener (Halo, Homecoming) attached as co-creators, showrunners, and executive producers.
The project marks a significant step in Ubisoft’s ongoing efforts to expand its flagship gaming franchise into broader entertainment formats. While details remain under wraps, the series is expected to draw from the game’s core mythology, centering on the age-old conflict between the Assassins and the Templars—two shadowy organizations locked in a battle that spans centuries. A hallmark of the franchise is the use of a device called the Animus, which allows modern-day characters to relive the memories of their ancestors. It’s a concept that offers a flexible narrative structure and has already allowed the games to explore settings as varied as Ancient Greece, Revolutionary France, and feudal Japan.
Although Ubisoft hasn’t confirmed which time period the Netflix series will explore, the creative team is aiming to tap into the franchise’s thematic depth. In a joint statement, Patino and Wiener described the story as one that goes beyond historical spectacle and action, aiming instead to examine identity, purpose, and human connection across time and cultures. It’s an ambitious take on a property that has often juggled philosophical introspection with stealth kills and rooftop parkour.
For fans burned by the 2016 film adaptation starring Michael Fassbender—a film that opted for a new protagonist and underdelivered on both story and style—there’s cautious optimism this time around. With television’s longer-form storytelling, the series may have a better shot at doing justice to the complex lore and branching timelines that make Assassin’s Creed more than just a historical action game.
While Ubisoft’s recent title Assassin’s Creed Shadows has sparked renewed interest in the brand, the Netflix adaptation still faces the challenge of translating an expansive and often convoluted narrative universe into something digestible and compelling for a broader audience. Whether the series will center on fan-favorite characters like Altaïr, Kassandra, Evie Frye, or Fujibayashi Naoe remains to be seen. But with an experienced creative team and a platform known for taking risks on genre fare, the adaptation has at least a solid foundation to build from.
There’s no premiere date yet, and production details are scarce, but for now, fans can mark this as another step in the long climb from console to screen—one jump of faith at a time.
