Shortly after Rogue One: A Star Wars Story arrives in theaters this December, a rather different sort of sci-fi movie will be joining it. Based on Ubisoft's video game franchise of the same name, Assassin's Creed stars Michael Fassbender in two lead roles: a Death Row inmate who is given a last-minute reprieve by a shady organization, and his ancestor, Aguilar de Nerha, an Assassin who fought in a secret war against the Templars more than five hundred years ago.
The fact that he's been dead for a few centuries won't stop Aguilar from being brought back to life, however. The Assassin's Creed franchise is based around the concept of genetic memory, with characters using a piece of highly advanced technology called the Animus to experience the lives of their ancestors. As such, around a third of the movie will be set in Spain during the Inquisition, telling the story of Aguilar and his fellow Assassin, Maria (Ariane Labed).
The historical portions of the film comprise most of what was shot on location in Malta, and the first trailer for Assassin's Creed teased some impressive parkour stunts, fight scenes and rooftop landscapes. Now, a new set of promo images from the movie (via The Playlist) offer a more detailed look at Fassbender in the role of Aguilar, and the world that he occupies. Check them out below:
Aguilar's robes and weapons are closely based on the video games, with some weapons (and some Assassins) from the games making an appearance in the movie. Fans of the games will recognize quite a few tools of the Assassin trade in these images: throwing knives, a smoke bomb pouch, a short sword and - of course - the series' iconic dual wristblades. Aguilar is also shown using a bow and arrow, as opposed to the crossbow that most of the video game protagonists used (Assassin's Creed III being the exception), and the trailer showed his modern day counterpart using a bow and arrow with equal skill, thanks to the Animus' muscle memory training.
Directed by Justin Kurzel (Macbeth) and also starring Jeremy Irons, Marion Cotillard and Michael K. Williams, Assassin's Creed could become the first outright runaway hit in the video game movie genre... or it could prove to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year. Still, the level of detail in these costumes and the obvious care given to the creation of the historical portions bode well for the movie. Perhaps Assassin's Creed will prove to be a Christmas miracle.
Assassin’s Creed will see theatrical release in the U.S. on December 21, 2016.
Source: The Playlist