Ubisofts’s massively popular Assassin’s Creed franchise has moved yet another step closer to the big screen.
Sony Pictures is finalizing a deal to adapt and distribute the Assassin’s Creed movie franchise after winning a bidding war over the rights to the game. According to Variety, Ubisoft’s desire for creative control over the adaptations of its games was a major element of the deal, and factored heavily into the negotiation process.
The French game developer launched Ubisoft Motion Pictures back in February, and announced plans to bring Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon to the big screen in May. The adaptation-minded offshoot of the company also has plans for an animated television series based on its Ravings Rabbids franchise.
Assassin’s Creed isn’t the only game-related project on Sony’s plate these days, either. The studio also has an adaptation of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted franchise in the works.
Just in case you’ve missed out on the Assassin’s Creed phenomenon, the franchise follows a man who’s kidnapped by a mysterious corporation and forced to relive the memories of his ancestors — which include several generations of a shadowy guild of assassins — in order to recover ancient artifacts.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has sold more 30 million copies of the games worldwide, with the latest installment, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations hitting shelves November 15.