In an interview with Empire , star Michael Fassbender explained why he felt his upcoming video game movie Assassin’s Creed was a step above the rest of its genre.
“I’ve always thought about The Matrix when we’ve approached this. 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,” said Fassbender.
What part of The Matrix is Fassbender referring to? Do audiences relate more to the creepy human farms, the idea of machines running our lives in code, or Neo’s famous trenchcoat? The assertion that DNA memory bestows a level of realism upon Assassin’s Creed so significant that it elevates Assassin’s Creed above other video game movies like Prince of Persia or World of Warcraft is a bit much, but Fassbender has another point in Assassin’s Creed favor up his sleeve.
“There’s very little green screen in this, which is highly unusual in these films,” he said . “We have stunt guys jumping across buildings in (Maltese capital) Valletta. We’ve got [stunt man] Damian Walters doing a 120-foot leap of faith, without any rope, into a bag, so it’s pretty incredible to see.”
Fassbender used the word “old-school” to describe the stunt work in Assassin’s Creed. The promise of real, practical stunts without all the danger and death-defying CGI’d in after the fact is way more of a draw than the dubiously relatable concept of DNA memory. Don’t get too excited, though: there’s nothing too bloody in Assassin’s Creed .
“We’re not trying to make it too crazy violent,” said Fassbender, “although obviously there is an element of that, but what is really cool is that our action sequences are on real sets and real locations.”
When it came to the experience of Assassin’s Creed , Fassbender was enthusiastic. “It was great. It was a huge learning experience,” he stated . “To be a producer on it as well was very educational. I think we’ve got something special. I think we’ve done something original in this genre.”
Assassin’s Creed has wrapped shooting and is currently in post-production. In addition to Michael Fassbender, the film also stars Marion Cotillard , Jeremy Irons and Michael K. Williams . Assassin’s Creed opens in theatres this Dec. 21.
