There was some conflicting and interesting details on why ‘Assassin’s Creed‘ was being made into a movie over the weekend that might make you worry about checking out the film. The first statement that was issued basically called the film a giant advertisement for the video games while the second was a huge backpeddle from Ubisoft saying that wasn’t the case at all. While the movie’s trailer has gotten rave reviews aside from the extremely poor choice of music, if this is being used as an advertisement for the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ franchise that could quite quickly backfire for the company.
The first quote came from Ubisoft’s European leader Alain Corre:
“We [Ubisoft] are not going to earn a lot of money from it. It is a lot more a marketing thing, it is also good for the image of the brand. Although we will make some money, it is not the purpose of this movie. The purpose is to bring Assassin’s Creed to more people. We have our core fans, but what we would like is to put this franchise in front of a lot more people who, maybe, will then pick up future Assassin’s Creed games.”
I doubt any of their partners in bringing the film to the big screen or Michael Fassbender like hearing that they “are not going to earn a lot of money from it” and are really just using it as advertising. I mean let’s be honest, 20th Century Fox is probably hoping that this is going to be a home run at the box office and kick off a brand new cinematic franchise.
On the flip side, it could mean that 20th Century Fox has ponied up almost all of the funds so that even if this becomes the movie to see during the holiday season, outside of ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ that is, then Ubisoft won’t be seeing much of the box office sales.
It didn’t take long for Ubisoft to realize that might not be the best thing to say though and quickly issues this statement:
Ubisoft’s core vision is to create top quality entertainment and experiences. For the Assassin’s Creed film, we have worked closely with our partners at New Regency and 20th Century Fox as well as the talented cast and production team from the very beginning to ensure we deliver a quality experience to our fans. We strongly believe the Assassin’s Creed brand has this cross-over appeal that will please both video games fans and movie goers.
I can see why they needed to issue a follow up though it feels like they shouldn’t have had to in the first place.
Do you think that Corre meant that Ubisoft just doesn’t have a lot financially invested in the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ movie or that their aim really is just to use it as marketing for the video games? Share your thoughts below!
Synopsis:
Assassin’s Creed follows a character by the name of Callum Lynch who, through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, is able to experience the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Knights Templar organization in the present day.
‘Assassin’s Creed’ will be sneaking into theaters just in time for Christmas on December 21st, 2016.
Sources: Cinema Blend, Screen Rant
Stuart Conover is an author, blogger, and all around geek. When not busy being a father and husband he tries to spend as much time as possible immersed in comic books, science fiction, and horror! Would you like to know more? Follow him on Twitter!
