Sorrosyss
04-02-2016, 05:43 PM
In 2017, the Assassin's Creed franchise will celebrate its tenth anniversary. In that time we have seen the brand expand through numerous main game titles, spinoffs, novels, comics, and now a movie. But there is one domain it has not yet ventured into - the arena of television.
With the franchise increasingly adopting a transmedia basis for its storytelling, lets take a look at what a potential TV series could offer the fanbase.
The Connected Universe
http://i.imgur.com/N96sf2y.jpg
When we look at the action and adventure genre, both television and movies are utilising the concept of a shared universe. In this concept, we see multiple seemingly unconnected IPs (Intellectual Properties) being connected together. Marvel have received wide praise for this concept, such as the way that they gradually linked their cinematic universe by introducing each of the Avengers before making a movie with them all together.
That is but one example. Nick Fury appearing in Agents of Shield, along with the fallout from the Winter Soldier movie. The Daredevil and Jessica Jones shows both name dropped and shared characters.
DC comics have also been doing the same with varied TV crossovers between The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. The Batman Versus Superman movie also sets up the Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Justice League movies.
Its a tried practice, and one which has proven very popular amongst viewers. For me personally, it always make the worlds feel larger and more alive and not only adds to the narrative potential, but can help cross promote series and add to the fanbases of each property.
Game Properties Are Doing It Already
http://i.imgur.com/6OelJcm.jpg
Its not just a superhero properties that are doing this though. Video game properties are already doing this, and by the looks of things there are several more to come. In this respect, Ubisoft could look to some of these examples for their own inspiration.
The TV show Defiance had an intriguing concept in that it had its own massively mulitplayer shooter game released at the same time. When it first launched, they tried to incorporate the storylines from the TV show into the game, by allowing players to experience the same events in the virtual world over the run of the season. Whilst the execution may have been questionable, the concept behind this was a very sound one for incorporating your audience.
Quantum Break is a new Xbox One game that features a live TV series running in parallel. As players complete the digital episodes for themselves, the actions that they take will ultimately decide the events of the next episode of the live series. Having players directly input to the storyline in this way is a fascinating idea, and having the same actors/characters in both media makes for a very compelling connected experience.
A few other notables examples, would be the upcoming Halo TV series from Showtime, and the new Final Fantasy Anime series that feeds into FF15. Game companies are increasingly seeing the benefits to expanding their IPs to other media, and I'm sure Ubisoft are acutely aware of this.
So what form would an Assassin's Creed TV series take?
http://i.imgur.com/XuZsqgm.png
The franchise has already previously toyed with a few different concepts. There was the Embers animated feature of 2011, which was comprised primarily of CGI. There was also the Lineage short film trilogy of 2009, that actually gave us our first glimpse at a live action AC experience.
There are merits and disadvantages to both styles. Traditionally, animation work generally ends up on associated children's television channels, and will sometimes have a stigma about them being only for kids. But then there are some such shows like Star Wars Rebels, which end up having a very large adult audience.
Given that we now have a movie coming, I would personally argue for a live action TV series. Assassin's Creed has long held a love amongst its fans for the varied hand to hand elements of the combat within the franchise. You need only look at Youtube to find varied fanfilm efforts of people performing parkour, or elaborately crafted fight sequences inspired by the games. When a TV show like Daredevil can earn plaudits for its amazing choreography, this has to be the kind of arena that AC wants to inhabit in my mind.
So what about a setting?
The Animus as a Framing Device
http://i.imgur.com/tvI19aE.png
The franchise has always been known for its historical tourism since the start. To a new fan with no knowledge of the concept of the Animus, it would pretty much be presented as a form of time travel. As a TV show, this is not a new concept and you can see varied other IPs with a similar concept such as Doctor Who or Quantum Leap, where the Time Travel device essentially sets up the entire premise of each episode.
With the Animus, this kind of concept is absolutely perfect. For one, as with all of the games, if we start off with characters within the Present Day, they can travel back in time to see their ancestors in action. This means that whomever is cast in the TV show, can represent their ancestor within whatever timeframe they travel back to - we already see this for example within the movie with Michael Fassbender. With the whole of history to play with, a TV series could very much take on the trope of 'story of the week', with each jaunt into the Animus being a different time period or location. The possiblities are literally endless.
Whilst I am sure the movie will be excellent, a sub 2 hour movie does not generally allow for much character development or narrative cycles. With a TV series you usually have a good ten+ hours to work with, and I personally think it would be really exciting to see Ubisoft's own AC writing team such as Darby McDevitt and James Nadiger to be let loose on trying out their own contained episodes. The multi tiered narrative of the Present Day, Isu, and history itself, makes for a complicated subject matter that in my mind will work far better in this kind of medium.
Who should the series be about?
http://i.imgur.com/Wh0HVnW.png
If we go back to the concept of a connected universe, we've already seen this start happening within the franchise. Galina is now appearing in the comics. Alan Rikkin has gone from AC1 to the movie.
To present the concept of the Animus we need the Present Day as the focus. With this in mind, after the demise of Desmond, we know of two other Assassins that are currently using an Animus; Charlotte De La Cruz and Galina Voronina. If these two were to head up the TV series, not only would you have a direct link to the comics, but with the inclusion of a few other Present Day characters you could incorporate the games and the movie universe all into one cohesive shared narrative. As well as the Assassins, we must also ensure that we have a presence of the Templars as the main antagonists, as well as the Isu - mainly with the appearance of Juno.
As such, for a bit of fun, here are a few of my suggested castings to try and give these characters a physical face in the real world. Of course, I am sure there will be many new characters, but I'll stick with existing ones for this. As top line actors command large salaries, I have deliberately tried to use acknowledged television actors rather than mainstream celebrities, and preferably someone with a similar appearance. Certainly those from the movie would only have brief cameos at best. But I'm no casting director! Who would you cast?
http://i.imgur.com/HGrViIl.png
Charlotte de la Cruz = Jessica Lucas
http://i.imgur.com/ochVy9n.png
Galina Voronina = Eliza Taylor
http://i.imgur.com/J7mM1gS.png
Bishop = Cobie Smulders
http://i.imgur.com/z0hf81O.png
Shaun Hastings = Danny Wallace
http://i.imgur.com/Eyv9aHl.png
Rebecca Crane = Willa Holland
http://i.imgur.com/fZqyKBg.png
Otso Berg = Manu Bennett
http://i.imgur.com/SKSKICe.png
Violet De Costa = Cynthia Addai-Robinson
http://i.imgur.com/rQDUQjV.png
William Miles = John De Lancie
http://i.imgur.com/oPxFqWQ.png
Gavin Banks = David Hayter
http://i.imgur.com/lqJKEhw.jpg
Juno = Nadia Verrucci
http://i.imgur.com/nlV1hBK.png
Alan Rikkin = Jeremy Irons
http://i.imgur.com/BPBy7hG.jpg
Callum Lynch = Michael Fassbender
Who would produce such a TV show?
http://i.imgur.com/YIU45o4.png
People will always have their own opinion, and loyalty to a certain network. I am sure Netflix, The CW, AMC, and many more would all make great homes for the AC TV series. Whilst Ubiworkshop produced Embers, for the AC movie Ubisoft used their own Motion Pictures company to help get the project off the ground. I personally believe it is in their best interests to do the same here, as it allows them to maintain creative control and ensure that they can correctly maintain the shared universe centrally across the varied media.
The company is no stranger to TV series either, as they developed the Rabbids Invasion TV series in 2013. I am sure that if the Assassin's Creed TV series were to take off, it would open the door for its other varied IPs, such as Watch Dogs, Far Cry, and the Tom Clancy games. It can only be in Ubisoft's best interests to try and make this alternative revenue stream a reality for all of its franchises.
Conclusion
http://i.imgur.com/rSW18Dp.png
Very few IPs last for ten years, and it is testament to the strength of the franchise that it has made it this far. With the upcoming movie, the expansion of associated comics/novels, a theme park, and numerous collectibles - even outside of the game series, Assassin's Creed is continually expanding. A TV series is just the next logical step in my view. If the games really are to take on multi year release schedules, I cannot think of a better medium to experience the IP whilst we are waiting. With much smaller production times and costs than games or movies, a TV series could continue the narrative on an annual basis with relative ease. As a regular viewer of far too many TV shows, I hold hope that my beloved Assassin's Creed joins their ranks soon, and even more new fans can come on board to this great franchise.
With the franchise increasingly adopting a transmedia basis for its storytelling, lets take a look at what a potential TV series could offer the fanbase.
The Connected Universe
http://i.imgur.com/N96sf2y.jpg
When we look at the action and adventure genre, both television and movies are utilising the concept of a shared universe. In this concept, we see multiple seemingly unconnected IPs (Intellectual Properties) being connected together. Marvel have received wide praise for this concept, such as the way that they gradually linked their cinematic universe by introducing each of the Avengers before making a movie with them all together.
That is but one example. Nick Fury appearing in Agents of Shield, along with the fallout from the Winter Soldier movie. The Daredevil and Jessica Jones shows both name dropped and shared characters.
DC comics have also been doing the same with varied TV crossovers between The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. The Batman Versus Superman movie also sets up the Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Justice League movies.
Its a tried practice, and one which has proven very popular amongst viewers. For me personally, it always make the worlds feel larger and more alive and not only adds to the narrative potential, but can help cross promote series and add to the fanbases of each property.
Game Properties Are Doing It Already
http://i.imgur.com/6OelJcm.jpg
Its not just a superhero properties that are doing this though. Video game properties are already doing this, and by the looks of things there are several more to come. In this respect, Ubisoft could look to some of these examples for their own inspiration.
The TV show Defiance had an intriguing concept in that it had its own massively mulitplayer shooter game released at the same time. When it first launched, they tried to incorporate the storylines from the TV show into the game, by allowing players to experience the same events in the virtual world over the run of the season. Whilst the execution may have been questionable, the concept behind this was a very sound one for incorporating your audience.
Quantum Break is a new Xbox One game that features a live TV series running in parallel. As players complete the digital episodes for themselves, the actions that they take will ultimately decide the events of the next episode of the live series. Having players directly input to the storyline in this way is a fascinating idea, and having the same actors/characters in both media makes for a very compelling connected experience.
A few other notables examples, would be the upcoming Halo TV series from Showtime, and the new Final Fantasy Anime series that feeds into FF15. Game companies are increasingly seeing the benefits to expanding their IPs to other media, and I'm sure Ubisoft are acutely aware of this.
So what form would an Assassin's Creed TV series take?
http://i.imgur.com/XuZsqgm.png
The franchise has already previously toyed with a few different concepts. There was the Embers animated feature of 2011, which was comprised primarily of CGI. There was also the Lineage short film trilogy of 2009, that actually gave us our first glimpse at a live action AC experience.
There are merits and disadvantages to both styles. Traditionally, animation work generally ends up on associated children's television channels, and will sometimes have a stigma about them being only for kids. But then there are some such shows like Star Wars Rebels, which end up having a very large adult audience.
Given that we now have a movie coming, I would personally argue for a live action TV series. Assassin's Creed has long held a love amongst its fans for the varied hand to hand elements of the combat within the franchise. You need only look at Youtube to find varied fanfilm efforts of people performing parkour, or elaborately crafted fight sequences inspired by the games. When a TV show like Daredevil can earn plaudits for its amazing choreography, this has to be the kind of arena that AC wants to inhabit in my mind.
So what about a setting?
The Animus as a Framing Device
http://i.imgur.com/tvI19aE.png
The franchise has always been known for its historical tourism since the start. To a new fan with no knowledge of the concept of the Animus, it would pretty much be presented as a form of time travel. As a TV show, this is not a new concept and you can see varied other IPs with a similar concept such as Doctor Who or Quantum Leap, where the Time Travel device essentially sets up the entire premise of each episode.
With the Animus, this kind of concept is absolutely perfect. For one, as with all of the games, if we start off with characters within the Present Day, they can travel back in time to see their ancestors in action. This means that whomever is cast in the TV show, can represent their ancestor within whatever timeframe they travel back to - we already see this for example within the movie with Michael Fassbender. With the whole of history to play with, a TV series could very much take on the trope of 'story of the week', with each jaunt into the Animus being a different time period or location. The possiblities are literally endless.
Whilst I am sure the movie will be excellent, a sub 2 hour movie does not generally allow for much character development or narrative cycles. With a TV series you usually have a good ten+ hours to work with, and I personally think it would be really exciting to see Ubisoft's own AC writing team such as Darby McDevitt and James Nadiger to be let loose on trying out their own contained episodes. The multi tiered narrative of the Present Day, Isu, and history itself, makes for a complicated subject matter that in my mind will work far better in this kind of medium.
Who should the series be about?
http://i.imgur.com/Wh0HVnW.png
If we go back to the concept of a connected universe, we've already seen this start happening within the franchise. Galina is now appearing in the comics. Alan Rikkin has gone from AC1 to the movie.
To present the concept of the Animus we need the Present Day as the focus. With this in mind, after the demise of Desmond, we know of two other Assassins that are currently using an Animus; Charlotte De La Cruz and Galina Voronina. If these two were to head up the TV series, not only would you have a direct link to the comics, but with the inclusion of a few other Present Day characters you could incorporate the games and the movie universe all into one cohesive shared narrative. As well as the Assassins, we must also ensure that we have a presence of the Templars as the main antagonists, as well as the Isu - mainly with the appearance of Juno.
As such, for a bit of fun, here are a few of my suggested castings to try and give these characters a physical face in the real world. Of course, I am sure there will be many new characters, but I'll stick with existing ones for this. As top line actors command large salaries, I have deliberately tried to use acknowledged television actors rather than mainstream celebrities, and preferably someone with a similar appearance. Certainly those from the movie would only have brief cameos at best. But I'm no casting director! Who would you cast?
http://i.imgur.com/HGrViIl.png
Charlotte de la Cruz = Jessica Lucas
http://i.imgur.com/ochVy9n.png
Galina Voronina = Eliza Taylor
http://i.imgur.com/J7mM1gS.png
Bishop = Cobie Smulders
http://i.imgur.com/z0hf81O.png
Shaun Hastings = Danny Wallace
http://i.imgur.com/Eyv9aHl.png
Rebecca Crane = Willa Holland
http://i.imgur.com/fZqyKBg.png
Otso Berg = Manu Bennett
http://i.imgur.com/SKSKICe.png
Violet De Costa = Cynthia Addai-Robinson
http://i.imgur.com/rQDUQjV.png
William Miles = John De Lancie
http://i.imgur.com/oPxFqWQ.png
Gavin Banks = David Hayter
http://i.imgur.com/lqJKEhw.jpg
Juno = Nadia Verrucci
http://i.imgur.com/nlV1hBK.png
Alan Rikkin = Jeremy Irons
http://i.imgur.com/BPBy7hG.jpg
Callum Lynch = Michael Fassbender
Who would produce such a TV show?
http://i.imgur.com/YIU45o4.png
People will always have their own opinion, and loyalty to a certain network. I am sure Netflix, The CW, AMC, and many more would all make great homes for the AC TV series. Whilst Ubiworkshop produced Embers, for the AC movie Ubisoft used their own Motion Pictures company to help get the project off the ground. I personally believe it is in their best interests to do the same here, as it allows them to maintain creative control and ensure that they can correctly maintain the shared universe centrally across the varied media.
The company is no stranger to TV series either, as they developed the Rabbids Invasion TV series in 2013. I am sure that if the Assassin's Creed TV series were to take off, it would open the door for its other varied IPs, such as Watch Dogs, Far Cry, and the Tom Clancy games. It can only be in Ubisoft's best interests to try and make this alternative revenue stream a reality for all of its franchises.
Conclusion
http://i.imgur.com/rSW18Dp.png
Very few IPs last for ten years, and it is testament to the strength of the franchise that it has made it this far. With the upcoming movie, the expansion of associated comics/novels, a theme park, and numerous collectibles - even outside of the game series, Assassin's Creed is continually expanding. A TV series is just the next logical step in my view. If the games really are to take on multi year release schedules, I cannot think of a better medium to experience the IP whilst we are waiting. With much smaller production times and costs than games or movies, a TV series could continue the narrative on an annual basis with relative ease. As a regular viewer of far too many TV shows, I hold hope that my beloved Assassin's Creed joins their ranks soon, and even more new fans can come on board to this great franchise.