MovieChat Forums > Assassin's Creed (2016) Discussion > Why don't studios/writers/directors foll...

Why don't studios/writers/directors follow the game more closely?

posted 8 years ago by Hopper10
21 replies | jump to latest

It baffles me whenever videogames get made into movies that half the time they don't follow the plot or give the movie the same feel/music/character names. It seems easy, videogames these days have some of the most interesting and impressive plots. Why not stick to the source material? Why not use the music and scores and characters already made by the game? No person who played and loved the game thinks "Oh you know what would be great? if a director came along and made his own version of this into a movie"
It seems that books usually get a closer source material treatment than videogames but that doesnt make sense to me. With a game you already have the visuals, artwork, and music laid out for you, why not just adapt it?

The source material is awesome and had tons of fans, why not stick to it as closely as possible.

Dear Warden, You were right. Salvation lies within.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] stardama69 8 years ago

Cause it would be boring. I have played the games (II to III), I already know the story, I don't wanna see it again in a different format, I want something new. This is just about videogames ; as far as books are concerned, I do believe sticking to the source material is important, because the medium is completely different and therefore it will be exciting of properly done- unlike a copycat adapation from VG to movie.

"I don't care what you believe in, just believe in something ! No matter what..."

[–] Hopper10 8 years ago

Well so far, going with something new hasnt really worked out with almost all videogame adaptations.

Dear Warden, You were right. Salvation lies within.

[–] ThelVadam 8 years ago

Very true. But (at least for me personally) as an AC fan, I've seen and read enough about the film to not be worried any longer.

If they'd tried to adapt the 12-hour long story of the first game (longer for the subsequent games), not only would they have ruined it by trying to squeeze it into 3 hours, but it would have just bored the fans out there.

For example, Halo is another of my favorite game franchises and I'd love to see a Halo movie be made. But I'm glad that the movie that was being made ten years ago fell apart, because it would have bored and offended me as a fan. The script was an adaptation of the first game that I'd already played, so I wouldn't care too much about going to the theater to see it because it doesn't add anything to the universe. In addition, the script completely cut out a major character, Sgt Johnson. That's what would have offended me as a fan.

Sorry for the long reply, I hope that allegory helps explain why what Ubi is doing makes more sense. I will also mention that the AC movie takes place in the same universe as the games, which means it is basically a major sequel to the story we gamers already know. If the movie wasn't in the same universe, then I would be very annoyed because it would have no respect for the games.

[–] chell-glados 8 years ago

Gotta agree with you. I've played the assassins games (1,2 and brotherhood) an obscene amount of times. I don't need to do that story again. I know it off by heart.

And the assassin universe is interesting because anyone can have an assassin as an ancestor. It's not like zelda where there is ONE chosen one so the film has to be about Link otherwise you've got a movie devoted to an extra. It's the only video game like that I can think atm of that may work as a movie.

[–] stardama69 8 years ago

Yes. This is why Desmond was interesting, he was the incarnation of what you are describing, a nobody who became a hero because his ancestors did important stuff.

[–] gstards 8 years ago

Going with something entirely new, yes. But no one has tried to establish a new story taking place in an already existing universe before, which is a different thing.

Nolan, I love you forever!

[–] DrNarud 8 years ago

Not? Let's see, Paul W.S. Anderson has technically been doing that with just about every Resident Evil movie that he made, also both Tomb Raider movies were technically a new story in the same universe but were never based on any series from the games but those are the best case scenario (for previously released video game movies, not saying that Assassin's Creed can't be better of course because it probably will). In the worse case scenario, a director can decide to make a "new story in an already established universe" but instead ignore every established thing in the game universe and still end up with a terrible movie, which is the scenario pretty much summed up by the Super Mario Bros as well as just about every Uwe Boll film. So, to say nobody has tried make a new story for a video game movie set in the video game universe is not true. In fact I'd probably say that most video game movies are already like that.

If you're going to do that though then the trick of course is to make your movie true to the source material even if the narrative itself is new and still make a good film, which has not been done completely successfully yet.

[–] P-K-One 8 years ago

I think what he meant is that nobody ever made a movie that was taking place in a game universe without using an established character as the focus.

In other words, there has never been a movie that just told another story taking place in that same universe. They all told another story happening to that character from that universe.

[–] DrNarud 8 years ago

I think what he meant is that nobody ever made a movie that was taking place in a game universe without using an established character as the focus.

That's still not true. The main character of the Resident Evil movies, Alice, is not a character from the games and has never been in any of the games.

[–] gstards 8 years ago

One character. While almost all the characters of the AC movie are original, except Alan Rikkin, Baptiste and maybe one or two others.

Nolan, I love you forever!

[–] DrNarud 8 years ago

One character. While almost all the characters of the AC movie are original, except Alan Rikkin, Baptiste and maybe one or two others.

Again, the first Resident Evil movie did not really have any characters in the game either:

“To be scary you have to be unpredictable, and that's why I felt completely free to reinvent the story and use my own set of fresh characters,” said Anderson. “There was no point in using the Jill Valentine character from the first Resident Evil game, as the fans would know she wasn't going to be killed because she pops up in the later games. The suspense dynamic of who is going to live, who is going to die and what people's allegiances are, was only going to work with new characters.”

http://spong.com/article/1837/Resident-Evil-Director-explains-character-and-story-line-changes

The characters from the games only made appearances in the later sequels. So, it's not just "one character" as you put it.

Also, they've already confirmed that some more characters from the Assassin's Creed games are going to make appearances in the movie, even if only minor roles. I guarantee you that they will also probably make appearances in sequels if this turns into a franchise because pretending that they don't exist is a good way to upset gamers. In fact, that's why a lot of the original fans of the Resident Evil game franchise don't like the movies.

[–] gstards 8 years ago

But was the movie happening in the game's universe? I doubt it. I hadn't really played Resident Evil though, but I didn't see any mention about that.

Yes, this some characters is Alan Rikkin, Baptiste and maaaybe one or two others - that's all. At least in the first chapter.

Nolan, I love you forever!

[–] That_Guy_Son 8 years ago

First you said:

I already know the story, I don't wanna see it again in a different format, I want something new.

Then:

as far as books are concerned, I do believe sticking to the source material is important, because the medium is completely different

Don't you know the story in the books?

Videogames to movies is a completely different medium. One is interactive. I can see if you said animation to live-action (Even though I would have rather seen Justice League War live-action than Dawn of Justice).

But... The best argument for Assassin's Creed the movie being a different story and characters from the games is that the games have pretty much become anthology anyway. The movie is just a live-action version of the next chapter in the games. There isn't an Assassin's Creed game this year, but there is a movie to take it's place.

"Truth sounds like hate to those who hate truth."

[–] stardama69 8 years ago

Yes but videogames and movies are very similar in the sense that they use the full range of visual and audio techniques to stimulate the viewer and tell a story. The only barrier between the two is interactivity, and it can be stretched pretty thin. This is why there are games such as "The Order 1886" that can be more or less described as interactive films. Books however are completely different, when they get translated on the big screen a whole world is coming alive. Dunno if I explained my point of view properly.

I do agree with you about the rest. Since Black Flag the franchise's plot has become so boring anyway - both past and present - that the film could well spice things up.

"I don't care what you believe in, just believe in something ! No matter what..."

[–] alexanderthekaiser 8 years ago

It depends on the approach that they're giving. And on this case it's something that they've done several times in the past and it has worked.

This is a movie of the game, but not an adaptation. It is a separete story that takes place at the same time on the same universe but with other characters. They've done this with the short and awesome short that they made for Assassin's Creed 2. With the correct approach this could work pretty damn well, and considering how they did this twice (with the previous short and with Embers) I would say this formula has worked well with them so far.

Not to mention this has been successful outside of Ubisoft in the past: The Witcher games are not an adaptation of the books, however they take upon them and expanded upon them with a follow up story. Mother of god please don't start an argument over which franchise is better. Same thing here.

As a matter of fact, and considering the source material, I expect the upcoming Portal movie by J.J. Abrahams to go the same route. And just like on this one, the company that developed the game has a lot of input over the way the story is being developed.

Some BODY once told me.

[–] MydnightRose 8 years ago

Because they don't make these movies for just game players but for the GA who usually doesn't give a fu--.

1. BVS 2. TWS 3. Avenger

[–] WaffleTaff 8 years ago

If they did then we would have MUUUUCH higher expectations than if they made an original story within the universe. We would criticize the actor playing the character compared to the game. We would criticize the story compared to the game, if they added or removed something.

Bringing a new character into the universe makes it newer and we have less to compare it to. That is why they don't follow it more closely.

This is a signature. Just wanted to point that out.

[–] politicidal 8 years ago

Superhero movies had the same problem for a while. Studios and film makers thought that people wouldn't suspend their disbelief or understand the source material. So they change it or ignore it entirely to their own detriment.

What's missing in movies is same as in society: a good sense of work ethic and living up to ideals.

[–] dalbrech 8 years ago

Because most game plots really don't have enough meat to make a feature length movie.

[–] palvdb 8 years ago

I gave a very similar response earlier:
The central concept from the game is interesting enough, and I think they made a smart move by not sticking to any of the narratives from the games but creating a new one. Aside from giving them the freedom to actually create a story that's fitting for a movie and actually what's interesting is that they can expand on the whole narrative which actually might be more interesting for the people that already are fans and at the same time create a fresh story for the people that aren't familiar with the series.