Image: Ubisoft
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs movie adaptation was first announced in 2013.
Ubisoft has announced that its Watch Dogs movie adaptation has finally begun filming. The game publisher shared a behind-the-scenes image of a clapperboard with the caption, “Lights_Camera_Action.exe,” signalling that production has officially begun on the long-delayed movie adaptation. The movie was first announced all the way back in 2013, before entering development hell for over seven years.
This year, however, the project finally gained traction by securing its director: Mathieu Turi (The Deep Dark, Meander) and main cast.
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs movie adaptation begins filming
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs movie adaptation was first announced in 2013, as part of an initiative to adapt many, if not all, of its most popular game franchises. Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Deadpool) were originally commissioned to write the movie, but the project ostensibly entered development hell and stayed there until 2024. This year, the movie gained a director in Mathieu Turi, and a screenplay writer in Christie LeBlanc (Oxygen). LeBlanc’s screenplay later saw revisions overseen by Victoria Bata (Lessons in Chemistry).
Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me) was announced to join the movie’s cast, and Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) joined her soon after. The duo will presumably play the movie’s main leads, but Ubisoft has opted against sharing any plot details for the project, so one can only speculate for now.
Today, Ubisoft shared an image to signal the beginning of production for the movie adaptation. The image doesn’t give away much, but we can catch a glimpse of an individual sitting in front of a computer, which is ultimately what Watch Dogs is all about. For those unaware, Watch Dogs is a loosely connected anthology series that typically follows the operatives of the hacking group DedSec. The first game told the story of grey hat hacker Aiden Pearce’s quest for revenge, but later games chose to focus on DedSec’s rebellion against corruption and rival hackers.
In every game, a ctOS (central Operating System) functions as a wireless network connecting every electronic device in a city. Players exploit the ctOS and hack into electronic devices to solve puzzles and get through combat encounters. Alternatively, they can just walk around the city and cause GTA-like chaos by hacking into cars and phones, which is always fun.
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs movie has no release date yet.
