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In case you missed it there's a new Assassin's Creed movie trailer and holy hell does it look exciting. While the action's upfront and hard to miss there's a ton of little touches and references that only true fans will notice. So let's break it all down and see just how authentic this movie is.
The missing finger
Barely seconds into the trailer we see Michael Fassbender's assassin Aguilar wafting through a room in a ghostly form. Two things to note here. First, the missing finger - traditionally a sacrifice of faith referenced in the first game, as well as to allow use of the hidden blade. Second, we'll also see later that this is the same cell we see Fassbender's modern day Callum is in, suggesting this could be the 'Bleeding Effect' in action. That's the side effect of using the Animus that lets past memories invade the future.
Where you can see it: 0 minutes, 6 seconds
Callum sees Assassin visions before becoming an Assassin
We've seen Callum in prison before, prior to being executed, but this is the first time we've seen those drawings to the right. You can clearly see a hooded Assassin, an eagle's claw, and a leap of faith.
Where you can see it: 0 minutes, 15 seconds
The baton fight's an Assassin's Creed 2 reference
It could be a coincidence, but this fight between Callum and baton-wielding guards recalls a similar moment from the Abstergo escape at the start of Assassin's Creed 2.
Where you can see it: 0 minutes, 24 seconds
Some familiar weapons
A quick pan of displayed weapons reveals Assassin's Creed 4's pistols, Assassin's Creed 2's bombs, and a crossbow from several of the games. That mace seems quite prominent as well. Maybe it'll get used later?
Where you can see it: 0 minutes, 35 seconds
The Templar shield
Obviously Abstergo started life as the Templars, which this display shield is clearly a nod to.
Where you can see it: 0 minutes, 36 seconds
Michael K. Williams as Moussa/Baptiste
Here's The Wire's Michael K. Williams, who plays Moussa in the present and potentially his ancestor Baptiste in the past. We already know he's a descendant but it's worth reiterating that Baptiste is one of the Assassins taken from game canon - Baptiste from Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation.
Where you can see it: 0 minutes, 58 seconds
Hey look, it's the old Animus
The movie animus has had a bit of an upgrade, and appears as an hefty robotic ceiling tentacle that hoists Fassbender through his memories. It's quite the change but here's why the Assassin's Creed movie has upgraded the Animus and it might even make it to the games. In this scene you can still see the old, less exciting chair version in the background.
Where you can see it: 1 minutes 58 seconds
The Bleeding Effect
At several points in the trailer we see the past and present combine with historical events overlaid on the modern day Animus. The ghostly repeating shapes are exactly the same as that first shot we saw of Aguilar minus a finger, suggesting that's part of the Bleeding Effect of the animus unlocking memories.
Where you can see it: 1 minutes 32 seconds
There's a nod to Assassin's Creed Revelations as well
The trailer shows a quick look at this wagon chase which shares a lot of similarities with a similar sequence in Assassin's Creed Revelations. Only with less Ezio :(
Where you can see it: 1 minutes 54 seconds
Rope launcher confirmed
Okay, you don't need any specialist Assassin fan knowledge to recognise a rope launcher, but it's interesting to see as it was only introduced in the most recent Assassin's Creed Syndicate. What other blades and tools might we see? The hook blade is long over due a comeback.
Where you can see it: 1 minutes 55 seconds
Who's this Assassin?
This seems to be a new face and a slight spanner in the works of what we know so far. It doesn't appear to be the past version of Michael K. William as Baptiste because the beard doesn't match. (Fassbender appears in the past as his present day self so Williams should do the same.) To add further mystery we've not seen that soldier's uniform before, and the Assassin's outfit doesn't match Fassbender's Brotherhood.
Where you can see it: 2 minutes 04 seconds
A very Assassin-y escape
Blink and you'll miss it, but part of what looks like the prison break from Abstergo's present day starts with two balls being dropped and releasing clouds of white dust or smoke. Are these the same grenades we saw in the weapons display at the start? Or are these modern versions created using knowledge from the animus?
Where you can see it: 2 minutes 08 seconds
Directed by Justin Kurzel and starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Ariane Labed, Michael K. Williams, Jeremy Irons, and Brendan Gleeson, Assassin's Creed opens in US theatres on December 21, 2016 before opening in UK cinemas on January 1, 2017.
