Assassin's Creed: Lineage

Assassin's Creed: Lineage is a series of three short films based on the universe of the video game Assassin's Creed. The films are made by Ubisoft, the game company itself. The first episode was released on October 26, 2009 via YouTube, and Episode 2 and Episode 3 were released on November 12, 2009 on Spike TV later converted to YouTube for international viewing purposes. .

The films are directed by the Canadian film director: Yves Simoneau. .

Plot
The story takes place before the events of the video game Assassin's Creed II. It centers around the father of the game's main character (Ezio): Giovanni Auditore da Firenze. Giovanni is an Assassin living during the Renaissance in Italy (15th century). The story introduces the situation before Assassin's Creed II, and the enemies of both characters.

Episode 1 (Firenze)

The story begins around 1476, in Florence, Italy. Giovanni Auditore, the current Assassin, begins his monologue that even though history would remember the dawn of a new era for Italy where art, culture and science are flourishing under the guidance of enlightened minds, corruption, betrayal, murder and dangerous secrets are rampant as well. From the shadows, he quietly watches his family enjoying themselves, before departing into the streets of Florence, stating that these values (justice, honour and the safety of his family) are what guide his blade, and to preserve order. Outside, he ambushes Rodrigo Borgia and his men as they attempt to sneak out of the city under cover of darkness. Giovanni is able to kill two of the bodyguards and incapacitate the third, but Borgia escapes in the confusion.

He then brings the injured man to the palazzo of his employer, Lorenzo de' Medici, where he gives his report and warns him of the rumors he has heard in the streets: something about an "important event" that would cause a shift of power within Florence. Lorenzo has the captive interrogated: under torture on the rack, and with the urging of Lorenzo's ally, Uberto Alberti, the prisoner finally confesses that in the city of Milan, on the Feast of Santo Stefano, when "the bell rings for the twelfth and last time," the Duke of Milan will be assassinated.

Giovanni races to Milan and finds the Duke at Mass in church, but is unable to intervene before the murder is committed, and the Duke is betrayed and killed (by supposedly high-ranking officials of the Milan court), by stabbing once on the chest and another on his left shoulder. The murderers are swiftly dispatched by the Duke's guards and Giovanni himself; however, despite Giovanni's plea to take the last of the conspirators alive for interrogation, the Duke's guard snaps his neck with his polearm. Giovanni then searches the body of the main killer, finding a coin inside a pouch stamped with the coat of arms of Venice.

Returning home, Giovanni watches his sons play chess, with his wife commenting how their younger son, Ezio, reminds her a lot of him, before Giovanni advises Ezio on how to become a better player (Anticipate, then surprise him.). Back in his private quarters, he muses to himself that the Duke of Milan's death has robbed Medici of a powerful ally, and that even now, his enemies will be plotting their next move. Sforza's death wasn't the end of the problem, but the beginning; however, now he knows where his journey will take him next.

Episode 2 (Venezia)

Giovanni arrives in Venice to investigate the possibility that whoever ordered the Duke of Milan's assassination is hiding in the city. His investigations lead him to St Mark's Basilica, where, after silently killing a guard and hiding his body to cover his tracks, he eavesdrops on a group of men conversing in a nearby room. He sees them dispatch a courier carrying a letter for 'their master' in Rome, insisting its delivery is of great importance. Giovanni uses the rooftops to track down and intercept the courier in Venice's back alleys. After a lengthy battle, Giovanni overpowers the courier and tries to interrogate him; however, the courier refuses to talk (My secrets come with me.), and kills himself on Giovanni's blade. Frustrated at the outcome of events, Giovanni takes the letter, which bears the seal of the Barbarigo family, and returns to Florence.

Back in Florence, Giovanni presents the letter to Lorenzo de' Medici: however, it is encrypted, written in a strange code. Uberto states it will take several hours to decode the message, and sends Giovanni home to get some rest, promising to call him when it is done. Father Maffei, a monk in Medici's service was able to translate the contents of the letter and presents it to Uberto, who tells the priest to summon Giovanni as he will wake Lorenzo up, but imposes him an oath of silence not to tell the true contents of the letter to anyone (Secrets are born here, and they die here.). At the Auditore villa, Giovanni enjoys an intimate moment with his wife before leaving, with Maria urging him to talk to Ezio, who was watching his parents from behind a nearby haystack. His son, Ezio, is confused as to why his father, a banker, leaves so often in the middle of the night, and Giovanni simply replies "Business calls." Ezio then says he wants to go with him, but Giovanni refuses, stating he needs to assist his older brother in taking care of the family while he is away (You're helping more than you know, Ezio.).

At the palazzo, Uberto claims they were unable to decipher the letter, and therefore the only way to see who it is intended for is to take it to Rome and deliver it personally. In spite of the danger and warnings of Lorenzo, Giovanni volunteers to take it, stating he knows the information of the drop-off point: Lorenzo instructs him to find "the pits where these snakes lie, and be merciless". Back in Venice, the Barbarigos, with Rodrigo Borgia at their head, pray "May the Father of Understanding be with us!", as they lay their swords down on the table in a familiar cross symbol.

Episode 3 (Roma)

Giovanni arrives in Rome and delivers the letter as planned, and passes thru several change of hands in the crowd until it reaches Borgia. He goes straight to the Vatican, where he delivers the letter to Pope Sixtus IV, at which he does not take it. The pair discuss about Lorenzo de' Medici's defiance to the Pope's authority; when Borgia explains that the opportunity to strike is at hand, as Florence is now weak, and Sixtus IV can force Lorenzo into submission, the Pope disapproves of the idea, stating "It is not part of my office to consent on the death of anyone,", but then says he will lend his spiritual support and military aid for the "greater good" in the Florentine republic, and to "assure order is maintained".

As Borgia leaves, he is followed by Giovanni. But Borgia manages to give Giovanni the slip, and disappears into St Peter's Basilica. As he investigates inside, he is confronted by Borgia, who remarks that what follows next is of his making. He appreciates that Giovanni's skills would be of much use to his cause, and that if he joins them, he will live to see 'a new world'. When Giovanni refuses, and remarks the only way this will end is with a blade in Borgia's throat, he sneers "We shall see!", and orders his men to attack. Giovanni fights bravely and defeats his attackers (at the cost of his hidden blade to be broken in the process), but is struck in the chest with a knife thrown by Borgia. Though he survives, Borgia uses the opportunity to escape.

Badly wounded, Giovanni returns home to Florence, where his wife tends to his wounds. He confesses to his wife the fear the Duke of Milan's assassination was merely the start of a conspiracy, and that the next blow will strike Florence, and that he fears for the safety of de' Medici, his allies and his family. Suddenly, armed city guards led by Father Maffei arrive at the house, asking for Giovanni. He has his eldest son buy him some time, as he escapes through a hidden passage.

Back in Rome, Borgia and his fellow Templars agree the main threat to their plans is Giovanni: however, Borgia says he has a plan to deal with the Assassin, and that with him gone, nothing will stand in their way. Back in Florence, Giovanni prowls under the shadows of the streets (pausing to muse when he sees Ezio flirting with his girlfriend in the street), monologuing that dark days are approaching Florence and time is running out: the final battle is about to begin. He remarks that no matter what happens, "For we are the Auditore de Firenze, and we are Assassins!"

The film concludes with the message "The conclusion...is in your hands", setting the scene for Assassin's Creed II.

Cast
The films and the game share a common cast. The actors have been mo-capped (for narrative sequences), their faces have been scanned and their voices have been recorded for the video game.


 * Romano Orzari as Giovanni Auditore
 * Manuel Tadros as Rodrigo Borgia
 * Jesse Rath as Federico Auditore
 * Devon Bostick as Ezio Auditore
 * Claudia Ferri as Maria Auditore
 * Alex Ivanovichi as Lorenzo Medici
 * Michel Perron as Uberto Alberti
 * Roc Lafortune as Prisoner/Man #1
 * Arthur Grosser as Pope Sixtus IV
 * Shawn Baichoo as Father Maffei
 * Peter Miller as Galeazzo Maria Sforza
 * Harry Standjofsky as Silvio Barbarigo
 * Frank Fontaine as Marco Barbarigo
 * Maxime Savaria as Messenger

Production
Both film makers and game makers worked very closely to link the two titles.

Live actors were filmed on green screen (just like Hybride Technologies, participating in the production, did with 300 and Sin City) which was then replaced by the game's environment extracted from the engine to XSI (half of those assets were re-worked on the texture and geometrical levels before being exported to be used in the film).

For the costumes, historians researched and concept artists from the game made illustrations of each costume which was then, made real by a costume maker from the film team. Those costumes eventually influenced the 3D models in the game.

Corey May the writer from Assassin’s Creed II worked closely with the Assassin's Creed: Lineage scriptwriter, William Raymond, in order to make sure both stories were linked to the original story.

Soundtrack
The score of the films is composed by George S. Clinton (unlike Assassin's Creed II's soundtrack scored by Jesper Kyd).

Promotion and release
Ubisoft acquired on July 7, 2008 the post-production VFX studio Hybride Technologies based in Montreal as part of the game company's strategy to extend its brands to other medias, and to converge gaming and filming entertainment.

A year later, during a press conference held at the E3 2009, Ubisoft revealed the making of short films based on the universe of Assassin's Creed II using the game's engine with the participation of Hybride and Ubisoft Digital Arts.

Ubisoft then released more details about the project during the 2009's Comic-Con, revealing some behind the scenes shots at the same period.

The first episode was shown to the press during a premiere at a theater in the Champs-Élysées on October 19, 2009 and a public teaser trailer was released on the same day.

The first episode was released on YouTube on October 26, 2009.

It premiered on Spike TV on Thursday, November 12 at 12:00 A.M., Wednesday night. It premièred in the UK on Film24 on Sunday, November 22 at 9 P.M.

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