'Assassin's Creed' movie news: Sets apart from video game counterpart in terms of setting

The "Assassin's Creed" film adaptation will deviate from Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed" games particularly in terms of setting. While the film will mostly take place in the present, players of the action-adventure games spend most of their time in the past.

The movie will focus on 21st century convict, Callum Lynch whose genetic memories of his 15th century assassin ancestor, Aguilar will be unlocked and used by Abstergo Industries, a multinational company and primary front of the surreptitious and oppressive Templar Order. As he shall amass knowledge of his past and impressive killer's skills, Callum will aim to topple the Templar organization whose mission toward a perfect world will include oppression and control of people's freedom.

The "Assassin's Creed" executive producer Pat Crowley revealed the fraction of time spent in the film's two time eras. In his interview with IGN, Crowley said that the movie adaptation will be set 65 percent in the present day and only 35 percent in 15th century Spain.

Academy award-nominated actor Michael Fassbender, who will lead the cast as both Callum and Aguilar, talked about this alteration of setting.

"There are certain things that we absolutely want to respect in the game but we also want to bring new elements to the movie [...] This isn't a video game that we're making. We're trying to make a cinematic experience, so there are new things that we have to introduce," Fassbender said. He then added that all the elements that people love in the game will definitely be adhered to in the movie.

Meanwhile, director Justin Kurzel talked to UbiBlog about shunning computer-generated imagery (CGI) and doing real stunts instead through the expertise of professional stuntman and parkour practitioner Damien Walters. Kurzel asked rather rhetorically, "Why do CGI when you can do it for real?"

"Assassin's Creed" is slated for release on Dec. 21.