Netflix Assassin’s Creed Series Taps Johan Renck as Director as Cast Expands Ahead of 2026 Italy Shoot
Netflix’s long in development live action Assassin’s Creed adaptation is finally moving with real momentum. After first being announced in 2020 alongside Ubisoft, the project spent years in near silence, which is usually where adaptations go to die. But following a green light in 2025 07, the show has started to assemble the pieces that signal true production acceleration: casting, a director, and a defined filming plan.
According to a new report from Variety, Netflix has tapped Johan Renck to direct the series. Renck is an Emmy winning director best known for his work on Chernobyl, and his attachment is a notable credibility upgrade for a franchise that needs more than surface level iconography to work on television. Assassin’s Creed lives and dies by atmosphere, pacing, and tension between ideology and action, and Renck’s track record suggests Netflix is aiming for a grounded, high craft tone rather than a glossy theme park interpretation.
Variety also reports that the cast is expanding beyond the previously reported Toby Wallace, with Lola Petticrew, Zachary Hart, and Laura Marcus joining as regulars. Character details remain under wraps, which fits Ubisoft’s usual approach to controlling era reveals and modern day framing, but the fact that multiple regulars are now locked indicates the production is moving into a more concrete staging phase.
The series is reportedly set to begin filming in Italy in 2026, and Italy is also said to be the geographical setting. That is immediately interesting for longtime fans because Italy is one of the franchise’s most iconic playgrounds, associated in the games with dense urban traversal, Renaissance politics, and visually recognizable architecture that reads instantly on screen. Netflix and Ubisoft are not confirming the exact historical era yet, but choosing Italy as both shoot location and setting is a clear signal that the show wants authenticity in its physical backdrop, not just backlot vibes.
For now, the official logline remains broad. It describes a story centered on a secret war between 2 shadowy factions, one seeking to shape mankind’s future through control and manipulation, while the other fights to preserve free will, with characters moving through pivotal historical events. If you have played Assassin’s Creed at any point since 2007, that pitch is essentially the franchise’s baseline framework, which means the real identity of this adaptation will come down to which era it chooses, which protagonists anchor the narrative, and how it handles the franchise’s signature split between personal stories and larger ideological conflict.
On the leadership side, the series is being run by showrunners Roberto Patino and David Weiner, with Ubisoft Film and Television executives Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, Austin Dill, and Genevieve Jones serving as executive producers. That combination suggests Ubisoft wants hands on stewardship to protect lore consistency, while Netflix tries to land the series as a premium genre drama rather than a simple game to screen translation.
The big opportunity here is straightforward: Assassin’s Creed has the world building to sustain multiple seasons, but it needs a distinct voice and a specific historical hook to stand out in a crowded streaming market. With Renck onboard and Italy locked for 2026 production, the project is finally moving from announcement mode into execution mode.
Which direction would you rather see Netflix take in Italy: a Renaissance era focus with classic Assassin fantasy, or a more unexpected historical period that still uses the same iconic setting?
