Filming has finally begun on Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Ubisoft’s iconic Assassin’s Creed, and it will be set in Rome! Netflix went further in today’s press release and gave us an exact year for its setting, taking place in 64 AD. This is the exact year that the Great Fire of Rome took place, which raged across the ancient city for almost a week in July. Its destruction was severe, and it’s a period that has never been covered in an Assassin’s Creed release before.
If you’re familiar with the Assassin’s Creed franchise then you’ll know that Italy is a key area for the series lore, but this will be one of the earliest times we’ve ever seen the ancient streets of Rome featured. Both the original Assassin’s Creed and its direct sequel take place more than 1000 years after the events of the Great Fire of Rome, so Netflix is taking us to some uncharted territory.
The cast and crew are currently on set at Cinecittà Studios, a major film studio within Rome and one of the largest in all of Europe. Back in December, the streaming giant confirmed Emmy Award winner Johan Renck as the series director, known for his work on HBO’s Chernobyl. As for showrunners, Westworld‘s Roberto Patino and Halo‘s David Wiener will serve as both executive producers and creators. In a joint statement, the duo said “beneath the scope, the spectacle, the parkour and the thrills is a baseline for the most essential kind of human story — about people searching for purpose, struggling with questions of identity and destiny and faith. It is about power and violence and sex and greed and vengeance.”
The 64 AD setting is a great choice to tell a story about power, as it falls during the reign of Emperor Nero. At the time, the Emperor blamed the blaze on the Christian community within Rome, which marked a major turning point in the ancient persecution against Christianity within the region. No release date is confirmed for the Assassin’s Creed show, but check back often to GameObserver for the latest news as it happens.
