Netflix's Assassin's Creed Moves On Without Showrunner Jeb Stuart
Netflix is looking to become a hub for video game adaptations, whether live-action or animated. The streaming giant has already seen massive success with the likes of "Arcane," "Castlevania," and "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," and it's now taking another step forward, partnering with Ubisoft on a live-action "Assassin's Creed" series.
"Assassin's Creed" focuses on the long-running battle between the Assassins and the Templars, two secretive organizations working in the shadows throughout history. Many of the games include two storylines, one set in the past and the other in the modern day. Both stories focus on an Assassin as they relive their ancestor's fight against the Templars, trying to learn information to help their modern-day war against the same group. Ubisoft already attempted one live-action adaptation before, the Michael Fassbender-led "Assassin's Creed" movie, and we all know how that turned out.
With Ubisoft's partnership with Netflix, the studio looks to make up for past mistakes, bringing the critically-acclaimed video games series to a new audience. The two are working together on a new live-action adaptation with the hopes of it becoming a franchise for the streaming service. Variety reported that the studios had hired Jeb Stuart as the showrunner in 2021, but it looks like the two parties have since parted ways.
The search for a new showrunner begins
Collider recently sat down with Jeb Stuart, talking with the writer about the latest season of his show "Vikings: Valhalla." When the outlet asked him for an update on the "Assassin's Creed" series, Stuart revealed that he was no longer a part of the project, saying it wasn't necessarily different visions that led to his departure. "I think it was a little bit of a move of executives from LA to London, and it allowed the London group who, unfortunately, had to inherit my vision of what it was instead of getting to develop their own vision," Stuard said. "So I think that's fair. I know it's going to be great whenever it comes out. I think the Ubisoft guys are fantastic. I think it's a terrific franchise. It was just a good, mutual time to move on for both sides."
Stuart rose to fame with his writing on action movies like "Die Hard" and "The Fugitive." He transitioned to TV with Netflix's sequel series "Vikings: Valhalla" before joining "Assassin's Creed" as showrunner in 2021. Stuart seemed like a worthy candidate to head the "Assassin's Creed" series, proving his blockbuster writing abilities and his familiarity with historical-centered projects with his previous work. Head of television development at Ubisoft Film & TV, Danielle Kreinik, told Variety that his work on "Vikings" made him the perfect showrunner for the series.
With Stuart's departure from "Assassin's Creed," Netflix and Ubisoft begin the search for a new showrunner. It remains unclear what time period the series will focus on or when fans can expect the show to hit the streaming service. Hopefully, 2023 will bring more updates on the anticipated video game adaptation.