Watch Dogs Movie Back In Development With New Lead and Director

Rahul Majumdar
·2 min read

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Almost ten years after it was first announced, Ubisoft’s feature film adaptation Watch Dogs is once again moving forward. The film, produced by Ubisoft Film & Television and New Regency, has finally found a trio of director, writer, and star, and may go on floors soon, hitting the big screen sooner than we think.

Deadline is reporting that the film has found a new director in Mathieu Turi, with a screenplay written by Christie LeBlan, known for Netflix’s Oxygen. The film’s lead will be played by 'Talk To Me' star Sophie Wilde, suggesting that it may tell an original story set in the Watch Dogs universe.

The first two Watch Dogs games followed male protagonists, Aiden Pearce and Marcus Holloway, while the third game doesn’t exactly have a canon protagonist. Wilde would be the first female protagonist in the franchise, although it’s too early to tell given that plot details are being kept under wraps.

The Watch Dogs film will star a female lead, a first for the franchise.<p>Ubisoft</p>
The Watch Dogs film will star a female lead, a first for the franchise.

Ubisoft

Deadline reports that the film is "set within the universe" of the games, which is similar to the approach taken with the Michael Fassbender starrer Assassin's Creed, whose narrative affected the story within the games.

Before debuting as a cross-gen title on the PS4/Xbox One consoles, Watch Dogs was supposed to be written by Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. However, after the game’s mixed reception, followed by widespread criticism of its downgraded graphics from its prior E3 demo, the film got stuck in development hell.

Ubisoft's first feature film, Assassin's Creed, was a commercial and critical flop.<p>Ubisoft</p>
Ubisoft's first feature film, Assassin's Creed, was a commercial and critical flop.

Ubisoft

Since its release in 2014, Ubisoft has released three Watch Dogs games to date, with several tie-in novels and comics. Besides the feature film, Ubisoft was also reportedly working on an animated series aimed at tweens. It's unclear whether that project is still in development.

Ubisoft Film & Television has quietly been working on adaptations of its popular franchises and has released feature films based on Assassin's Creed and Werewolves Within. Besides these, Ubisoft is also responsible for the highly acclaimed Apple TV+ show, Mythic Quest, as well as animated shows like Rabbids Invasion and Captain Laserhawk on Netflix.

The Watch Dogs film is currently in development with no release date.