Videogame Movie 'The Division' Lands Oscar-Winning Director
The Division comes in the aftermath of Assassin's Creed, and at this point the filmgoing crowd is finally starting to ponder, why bother? Unfortunately, the industry isn't asking the same question. Yes, The Division has some A-grade talent attached (Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain), but so did Assassin's Creed.
Now, the film has its director, who will also write for the film. Stephen Gaghan will take the helm, which he confirmed himself to Variety in the below statement:
"I’m excited to work with Ubisoft Motion Pictures and collaborate with their team at Massive Entertainment to bring The Division to the big screen. They’re great guys, exceptionally creative, and willing to take risks. The game has been an enormous success, in large part due to the visual landscape they created, their vision of a mid-apocalyptic Manhattan. It’s immersive, wonderfully strange, and yet familiar, filled with possibilities. It’s also remarkable to be able to collaborate with Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal early in the process. We all feel the story Ubisoft created is more relevant than ever."
The Division is a part of the Tom Clancy game franchise, and is set in the near future where a smallpox pandemic ravages New York City after a mystery terrorist attack. Gaghan has won an Oscar for his script for Steven Soderbergh's Traffic, and his next film to come is Gold, starring Matthew McConaughey.
With Ubisoft trying to pick up the pieces from Assassin's Creed, and still adamant that Splinter Cell is in development, the game developer will now be desperate for a win, and might fast-track The Division in the hopes that the talent in this one can help it overcome the issues that plagued Assassin's Creed.
Source: Slashfilm
