Assassin's Creed shows off Michael Fassbender and Ariane Labed in first official still

The actor admitted he hadn't played the game before signing up, though he's confident the film is 'something special'

Clarisse Loughrey
Monday 28 December 2015 10:55 GMT
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Though he'd never touched the popular game franchise Assassin's Creed before signing to the role, Michael Fassbender still wants to reassure fans of his confidence in its cinematic adaptation.

He told Entertainment Weekly, “I hadn’t played it before these guys approached me. I’ve played it since mainly to get an idea of the physicality of the character. We’re striving to find something special. We believe the whole concept around it is special and want to service that the best we can. The fans are really passionate: very specific and they expect accuracy and historical detail. We’re really trying to capitalize and feed on and enjoy the fun element. We’re working hard to make this something special.”

The film is dropping the game's protagonist Desmond Miles for Fassbender's Callum Lynch, whose path crosses with the shady Abstergo Industries as their revolutionary technology unlock his genetic memories and allow him to experience the adventures of his ancestor Aguilar in 15th Century Spain; unveiling him as a descendant of the secret society of Assassins who have been locked in a centuries-long battle with the oppressive Templars.

Entertainment Weekly have accompanied Fassbender's interview with our first official still of the film, following what has only been a couple of promotional glimpses of the actor. Here we see him, presumably as Aguilar, alongside co-star Ariane Labed; a regular within the Greek new wave scene, and last onscreen in Yorgos Lanthimos' darkly comic The Lobster. They'll also star alongside Marion Cotillard, Michael K. Williams, Jeremy Irons, and Brendan Gleeson.

We're still really to land on a successful cinematic gaming franchise (can you even remember when Jake Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia was a thing?); but with Duncan Jones' Warcraft trailer looking a little uneven, this might actually our best chance yet. Whatever issues lie within the mechanics of individual entries into the series, it was always the central premise of Assassin's Creed that provided so much of its returning draw for fans.

Plus, this cinematic take is directed by Justin Kurzel, who previously worked with Fassbender in his intensely visceral, charged adaptation of Macbeth; where his clear skills in stripping Shakespeare's text down to its primitive, driving forces promises a slick take on what can sometimes be a messy in-game narrative.

This also follows a promotional image released on DMC Film's Twitter account showing modern day Lynch, presumably somewhere within the offices of Abstergo.


Assassin's Creed is set for release 30 December.

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