Netflix is about to have to do some serious soul-searching. The first part of Stranger Things Season 5 is now available to stream, which means that only two parts remain. Once the terrifying events in Hawkins, Indiana, cease, the streamer will have only a little bit of time before users begin searching for the next big thing. There are a few projects that can temporarily fill the void, such as Wednesday and The Witcher. However, those wells will dry up eventually, too, and Netflix can’t be left twiddling its thumbs while all of its rivals keep the party going elsewhere.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Fortunately, Netflix always has a few potential hits in the works. Greta Gerwig is currently hard at work on The Magician’s Nephew, an adaptation of one of The Chronicles of Narnia books that’s going to kick off a franchise. The movie has an uphill battle because of the stigma surrounding the property after the last film series flamed out, but it doesn’t have to fight alone. Another Netflix project, the Assassin’s Creed TV show, is looking to avoid the mistakes of its predecessor and has a decent shot at succeeding, thanks to some help from a few other video game adaptations.
The Assassin’s Creed Movie Is an Unmitigated Disaster
On paper, an Assassin’s Creed movie sounds great. The video game series focuses on an ancient order of protectors, who have distant relatives in the future that use machines to travel back in time to learn more about their world. The Brotherhood doesn’t just get to operate freely, though, as the Templar Order is always trying to bring it down and steal all the power for itself. The 2016 movie drops itself right into the middle of that conflict, with Cal Lynch learning that his ancestor, Aguilar de Nerha, was tasked with protecting the Apple of Eden, which gives humanity free will, from the Templars. Cal fights his enemy across two eras, but the movie cares only about one, which leads to problems.
Rather than Cal spending most of his time in the past, the present plot takes up most of Assassin’s Creed‘s focus. Cal teams up with his allies and takes the fight to the Templars, having learned all of Aguilar’s skills. At the end of the movie, he retrieves the Apple and walks off into the sunset. While ending on a happy note isn’t unfamiliar territory for the franchise, none of it feels right, especially since the action leaves a lot to be desired. The truth of the matter is that Assassin’s Creed is more interested in appealing to the general audience than the real fans. Fortunately, Netflix’s show doesn’t have to walk down that road because the tide is turning in the diehards’ favor.
Video Game Adaptations Aren’t Afraid to Be Themselves Anymore
Assassin’s Creed failed critically and at the box office because it was afraid to embrace its roots. But at the time, it was hard to blame anyone involved in the film for being cautious because of the stigma that followed video game adaptations. Super Mario Bros. and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation were the first projects people thought of when discussing games being adapted into live-action, and neither had any redeeming qualities. Assassin’s Creed didn’t want to end up in that same category, so it played it safe and still paid the price. These days, though, the more an adaptation seeks to be like the game, the better.
Fallout, which is gearing up to release its second season on Prime Video, explores all the wacky corners of its continuity. At the same time, HBO’s The Last of Us enhances the source material by fleshing out characters who fade into the background in the games. And the cream of the crop calls Netflix home, with Arcane turning the world of League of Legends into something anyone can fall in love with. Assassin’s Creed can look at the blueprint left behind by all of those shows and find a comfortable spot to set up its Animus. That’s not to say the task is simple, but it’s certainly not as difficult as it was a decade ago.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Sony Animation -
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm -
Image courtesy of DC Studios
