Filming is now underway on Netflix’s adaptation of Assassin’s Creed, and the streamer has finally confirmed the show’s setting and time period. And it’s a mix of the familiar and the new for long-serving Assassin’s Creed fans.
We’ve known for some time now that the show is set to film in Rome, Italy – primarily at the famous Cinecittà Studios, where there is an existing Rome backlot – and, sure enough, the show itself is set to unfold on the streets of the Italian capital. News of a return to Rome will undoubtedly set the hearts of Assassin’s Creed fans aflutter, as it’s the primary setting of Ezio Auditore da Firenze’s second game, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.
But, the show will be set almost 1,500 years before the events of Brotherhood – 64 AD, to be precise – and will tell a totally original story not previously covered in any of the games. If you know your history, Rome, 64 AD will be significant because that’s the very year the Great Fire of Rome broke out, so expect sparks to fly in the show.
Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed show has been a long time coming. Initially announced way back in 2020, it was, er, re-announced in July last year (maybe chalk it up to a glitch in the Animus), with Westworld and Halo creatives signing up. Since then, there’s been a deluge of casting news, but not much else. Toby Wallace and Lola Petticrew are set to lead the cast, while Noomi Rapace, Sean Harris and Claes Bang are among the supporting cast.
Assassin’s Creed previously received an ill-fated live-action adaptation back in 2016. Starring Michael Fassbender, that film jumped back to 15th-century Spain. It’s currently sitting on a dismal 18% Rotten Tomatoes score, though our reviewer showed a little more mercy, awarding it 3*.
Plot details for Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed are under wraps, but expect the usual shadow war between Assassins and Templars to figure prominently. Alas, the confirmed time period rules out any chance of an Ezio cameo, but the return to Rome is certainly welcome.
Assassin’s Creed does not currently have a release date. While we wait for more news, check out our list of upcoming video game movies, or dive into our list of the best video game movies ever.