Assassin's Creed: Meet Modern-Day Michael Fassbender In New Image
Mimicking the nimble assassins of its title, Michael Fassbender’s character in the Assassin’s Creed movie has eluded us; we know he’ll be playing a 15th century sword-swinging but what of his modern counterpart?
Well, thanks to Total Film, we’ve got an exclusive look at the not-at-all happy Callum Lynch, seen here locked away in a prison cell.
The movie’s plot follows the main thread from the games, wherein, we follow two main protagonists 15th century Assassin Aguilar and his troubled modern-day descendant Callum Lynch – both of whom have a passing resemblance to that bloke from the X-Men.
In keeping with the game, Lynch is pursued by the bad guys at Abstergo and forced to relive his ancestor's memories via their Animus device.
But it won’t just be running, leaping and stabbing; no there’s the more pressing issue of the morally compromised world of an assassin – plus the wider implications of genetic material being passed down from generation to generation.
“The idea that we’re made up of who comes before us and the DNA of our ancestors is carried within us is really fresh and original,” stresses director Justin Kurzel – who previously worked with Fassbender and co-star Marion Cotillard, in a bruising adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Sharing his directors murky vision of the world inhabited by Lynch, Fassbender, who also produces the film, added: "I just thought that there was a great cinematic story in the ethos behind the game…this idea of Assassins and Templars. It’s not like your Star Wars franchise where you have the light and the dark side. This is a very muddled-up moral ground."
Star Wars isn’t the only franchise that had an influence on the films philosophy, another touchstone was the Wachowski’s shotguns and simulacrum epic, The Matrix, that helped define the theory behind the action.
“I've always thought about The Matrix when we've approached this,” explains Fassbender. "This idea of DNA memory elevates it from a basic fantasy genre [piece], because you have something an audience can actually believe in. Then the journey becomes so much more elevated, because you're on board in a different way.”
Given the calibre of talent involved, could this be a rare adaptation that satisfies both gamers and cinemagoers alike, and, let’s face it, it’s the games initial concept that hooked an impressive roster of cast and crew: “I wanted to take an audience on a fantasy ride, but give them something that fits some sort of scientific theory,” said Fassbender.
And it seems the present day time period will be as pivotal to the story as the historical swashbuckling. “We have many devices that we’ve worked into the present that almost feel as though the history of the film is shadowing the present day,” says director Kurzel.
Speaking of modern technology, when it comes to the action on screen, Assassin’s Creed will be strictly old-school. "There's very little green screen in this, which is highly unusual in these films,” says Fassbender. "We have stunt guys jumping across buildings in [Maltese capital] Valletta.” British freerunner Damien Walters and other stunt people helped bring derring-do and parkour skills. “Damien did a 120-foot leap of faith, without any rope, into a bag, so it's pretty incredible to see,” marvelled Fassbender. The actor did his bit, too. “I learned how to roly-poly, tumble turn,” he explained with a laugh. “Basic fight choreography."
While it may be a downer for long-term fans of the series, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said no new, major Assassin's Creed game this year gives the movie's marketing team more space to promote the film.
"The movie guys are extremely happy we don't have a new game because they will have the full-year marketing space and they feel they will be able to do a better job at promoting the movie," Guillemot said.
He went on to say the movie's "all-star" cast, its "outstanding" director Justin Kurzel, along with its production partners, give the film a chance to become one of year's biggest hits.
"With the great production expertise of New Regency and the fantastic marketing and distribution power of 20th Century Fox, the Assassin's Creed movie has the potential to be one of the biggest blockbusters of 2016," he said.
Co-staring Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson and Michael K. Williams, Assassin’s Creed opens in US cinemas on December 21, 2016, before hitting the UK on 26 December.