Publisher Ubisoft has announced a partnership with author Adam Hargreaves, who will adapt the world of Assassin's Creed into the Mr. Men and Little Miss picture book series for children. For the last several years, Ubisoft has invested considerably in cross-media projects for its flagship franchise. Assassin's Creed graphic novels, prequel comics, and novelizations are nothing new. And who can forget the Michael Fassbender-starring feature film that hit theaters in 2016? There's also an Assassin's Creed TV series in the works for Netflix, though details remain scant at best.
Ubisoft's interest in exploring its multimillion-dollar brands outside of games doesn't end and begin with the history-hopping action series, either. A live-action adaptation of Tom Clancy's The Division is in development at Netflix, with Skyscraper director Rawson Marshall Thurber at the helm, for example. And though the Sam Fisher of gaming has been reduced to cameo appearances in recent years, Ubisoft and Netflix are also teaming up for a Splinter Cell animated series. The mega-publisher has now set its sights on a different medium of entertainment - children's books.
Today, Ubisoft announced Assassin's Creed's "most iconic heroes" will cross over with the Mister Men and Little Miss picture book series originally created by Roger Hargreaves. English author and illustrator Adam Hargreaves, who continues his father's work on the Mr. Men books, serves as the new project's talent. Six volumes in total are on the docket; the first three children's books will follow Mister Ezio, Little Miss Kassandra, and Little Miss Eivor as they try completing missions of their own.
French publication Hachette Heroes is on board to publish the books, though release date and pricing details remain under wraps. In a press release about the partnership with Hargreaves, Ubisoft teased the following: "By mixing the Assassin's Creed sense of adventure and history with the colorful and delightful designs of the Little Mr. Men, these books will appeal to both young and adult readers."
At its core, Assassin's Creed isn't exactly kid-friendly. A brotherhood of assassins, no matter how honorable, sit at the center of the story, after all. And the Assassin's Creed story itself, with its convoluted plot lines, seems as though it would fail to hit the mark for children, too.
However, Ubisoft's press release does note the picture books are also being created with adults in mind. Plus, the educational Discovery Tour modes from Origins and Odyssey have shown Assassin's Creed can provide meaningful content beyond the Assassins versus Templars premise. Who knows, then, perhaps picture books aren't as farfetched as they may sound from the outset?
Source: Ubisoft