It’s rare that the excitement and anticipation for video game adaptations pay off in the end. However, Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie has many thinking that things could change for the fizzling genre. The video game studio has recently invested more in moviemaking, hoping to either expose their original source material to an even wider audience or, quite possibly, to win some respectful marks in Hollywood. Their slate of upcoming adaptations is quickly growing, with one of the most interesting being Tom Clancy’s The Division, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. And, according to THR, what makes this film all the more enticing is Jessica Chastain is now reportedly in talks to join the cast.
Even though the game just hit shelves back in March, it happens to be Ubisoft’s fastest-selling and best-selling game in history. The game is set in New York City, following a smallpox epidemic that has riddled the area with disease and violent criminals. The player is an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division who must attempt to salvage the prosperity of the Division, no matter the cost. The concept isn’t astoundingly original by any means, but there just must have been something about it that created such a massive fanbase. And Ubisoft is surely hoping that fans will carry that love over to the adaptation, not to mention putting Gyllenhaal in the lead role (and possibly Chastain in support) to help lower the risk of it flopping.
The actress had a great run in 2015, having starred in Ridley Scott’s The Martian and Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak. She was last seen in the unfortunate flop The Huntsman: Winter’s War, although her strong performance did help to alleviate some of the film’s criticism. So, with her diverse background in various genres, Chastain would make a great addition to The Division adaptation. But for the time being, Gyllenhaal’s casting is the only finalized detail. No director or screenwriter are currently attached, so it may be quite a while before we see this game put onto the big screen.
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